Starmer invited trans activist drag queen who ‘trolled’ JK Rowling to Burns Night celebration
Sir Keir Starmer has faced criticism for inviting a drag queen who previously criticised JK Rowling over trans issues to a Burns Night celebration at No 10.
The Prime Minister was photographed alongside Lawrence Chaney, a former winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, at the event which Downing Street said was meant to “honour the life and legacy” of Scotland’s national bard.
Chaney, who appeared in Scottish dress and heavy makeup, has previously accused the Harry Potter author of stoking up “hate” towards transgender people.
The drag performer was featured prominently in No10’s social media posts marking the Burns Night celebration, which took place last week.
Chaney recently shared a controversial social media post appearing to compare women concerned about single-sex spaces to racist segregationists from 1960s America.
The post featured an image of US Congresswoman Nancy Mace in front of a “biological” women’s bathroom sign alongside a photo of a woman smiling before a “white women only” door in 1962 Mississippi.
The drag performer shared the post, which stated “it’s always about the bathrooms”, with their more than 160,000 followers.
Chaney, who describes their gender as “ever-evolving” and “fluid”, has an upcoming UK tour titled “Memoirs From My Shagpipes”.
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In comments made on a RuPaul’s Drag Race spin-off show, Chaney claimed drag and trans people were being “demonised” and questioned if this was because “the author of Harry Potter tells you to hate trans people”.
Last June, Chaney urged Rowling to “stop vilifying trans people” and dismissed the author’s concerns about death threats.
The drag queen wrote: “JK ur so rich you dont grocery shop, you dont go out, if you do Im sure security are on the pay roll”.
Chaney also mocked former SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC after she lost her seat, sharing a post that labelled her a “terf”, a term used as a slur against women who oppose trans rights.
Former Labour MP Rosie Duffield questioned whether the Prime Minister’s staff had briefed him on “this drag performer’s historic online trolling of women MPs and JK Rowling” before the photo opportunity.
Susan Smith, director at For Women Scotland, also accused Starmer of insulting Scottish women with the invitation.
“Drag is traditionally highly sexualised and often offensive: many women also believe it to be sexist, relying on stereotypes and crude characterisations of women,” said Smith.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton added: “Given Lawrence Chaney’s questionable posts on social media, Scots will question Keir Starmer’s decision to invite him to a reception at Downing Street.”
No10 declined to comment on the controversy.