Former drag queen elected as Reform UK councillor
Michael Felse (LinkedIn/Michael Felse)
A former drag queen who once led Manchester Pride has been elected as a Reform UK councillor and has called on councils to stop funding Pride events.
Michael Felse, who performed under the drag persona Ethol Mary and led the 2011 Manchester Pride parade, won the Barton and Winton by-election in Salford on 22 April after switching to Nigel Farage’s party.
He has since ditched his drag persona in favour of a “butch” character he calls “Captain England”, which he is using to promote Pride events under the acronym DICK: Diversity, Inclusion, Cohesion and Kinship.
Despite his drag background, Felse has been critical of what he calls “woke” councils, saying: “All councils should stop funding Pride events that bring little value to social inclusion and instead get on with the bread and butter council duties.”
He also took aim at PinkNews readers specifically, saying “hundreds of online lefties on PinkNews attacked my honest opinion” after he revealed he had joined Reform.
Drag queen past
Speaking to the BBC in 2011, Felse said it was “considered to be an honour” to be the Pride Queen, adding: “For some strange reason this year it is going to me.”
He said he didn’t think his time in a wig and high heels would make “politics look silly”, adding: “I don’t think I’ll be taken as a joke. It’s really important that we don’t suddenly think that everyone fits in one box, everybody is different but it is how do we engage those choices. I think it isn’t making politics silly, it’s saying, no, let’s have a bit of fun.”
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
