The first gay immigrant elected to Congress, Rep. Robert Garcia, praised RuPaul Charles, the superstar drag queen and star of RuPaul’s Drag Race, during a tribute on the House floor. He commended the entertainer’s commitment to uplifting LGBTQ+ people in his speech in the chamber on Wednesday.

“I rise to commemorate the start of Pride Month by honoring the one and only queen of drag, RuPaul,” the California Democrat said Wednesday morning. “RuPaul Charles has become an American phenomenon and an icon; nobody has more charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent than Charles.”

...Garcia began listing RuPaul’s accomplishments, from launching a drag career to making chart-topping pop music. “RuPaul also became the first gay black man to host his own talk show, The RuPaul Show,” Garcia explained, adding, “He is most known, of course, for his multi-Emmy award-winning show, RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Garcia tells The Advocate that in this political moment where Republicans and others on the right seek to attack the LGBTQ+ community, those with a voice must stand up for it.