US: Anti-gay Republican who worked as a drag queen fails to win primary
Anti-gay Republican Steve Wiles has come last in a state primary, after it was revealed he used to work as a drag queen.
Wiles, 34, lobbied in favour of adopting a constitutional same-sex marriage ban in 2012, despite his past as drag performer Miss Mona Sinclair.
His past came to light earlier this week as he was running for state senate, but he bombed in yesterday’s Republican primary, coming dead last.
He received just 27.49% of the vote, placing him behind both other candidates, while eventual winner Joyce Krawiec took 43.81%.
Wiles wrote on his Facebook: “I want to say a sincere THANK YOU to all the people who supported and prayed for me, especially over these past few days.
“We really made a great showing at the polls.”
He said earlier this week: “I’m impressed by the way this story was used to present me to the conservative right as a gay advocate while at the same time presenting me as anti-gay to the gay community. THAT is talent!
“Equality doesn’t mean infringing on someone else’s rights. Marriage is a religious institute, plain and simple.
“To some, I’ll be known as a person who will ALWAYS admit my short-comings and my faults, to some, I’ll be thought of as anti-gay, and to a select few, I’ll just be a ‘fag’.
“Know that no matter which group YOU fall into, I have no hard feelings toward you and respect, not only your opinion, but your right to have that opinion.”
Club Odyssey’s co-owner Randy Duggin said he only brought Wiles’ past to light because of his “hypocrisy”.
He said: “I have no ax to grind against him. I just think he’s a liar.
“Why would you want to get into that knowing your past? He’s a hypocrite.”
