Drag Race star Honey Mahogany in the running for history-making Democrat post
Drag queen Honey Mahogany arrives at Rupaul’s Drag Race season 5 finale, reunion and coronation taping on 1 May 2013 in North Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/WireImage)
Drag Race star Honey Mahogany is running to be the first trans person of colour to lead San Francisco’s Democratic Party.
Honey Mahogany appeared in season five of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2013, and in 2020 became the first Black, trans person to win an elected post in the state of California, according to the Bay Area Reporter.
They are also the first drag performer to win an elected post in San Francisco.
Now, Mahogany is set to make more history as she announced her candidacy to be the next chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party. If elected, they will be the first trans person of colour to lead the local party.
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Mahogany announced her campaign on Thursday (29 April) in Compton’s Transgender Cultural District of San Francisco – the first legally recognised trans district in the world which Mahogany helped found, and is named after the first documented uprising of trans and queer people in the US, the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots of 1966.
Mahogany said at the event that they are “proud to have the support of my community” and the opportunity to “take on the mantle” of chair. She continued: “And I hope this is just the beginning, and that we’ll see many more people like me here in the future.”
They told the Bay Area Reporter that they do feel like they’re ready to take over as chair. She added that she believed San Francisco is “really in a state of crisis”, and leaders need to be able to “bring people together” and “create policies” that will help the city rebuild “post-pandemic”.
“I think it will be such a powerful thing to have a Black trans person as head of the San Francisco Democratic Party,” said Mahogany. “I just think it would be an amazing opportunity for San Francisco to again invest in Black leadership and Black trans leadership at this time.”
They continued: “It would speak to San Francisco’s tradition of being a progressive beacon and ideal for the liberal movement and the Democratic Party in general.”
David Campo, who is the current chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, plans to step down from the role after he is sworn into the statewide post in May. He told CBS-affiliate KPIX 5 that he didn’t know of any other candidates who have indicated they would run against Mahogany.
He wrote on Twitter that he was “so excited, proud and grateful” that Mahogany is throwing their hat in the ring to become the next chair.
I'm so excited, proud and grateful that @honeymahogany is running to be the next Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party!— Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) April 29, 2021
The official vote by the San Francisco Democratic Party committee members at their meeting on 26 May.
