A drag queen who has performed at a gay-friendly bar owned by Lauren Boebert’s Beetlejuice beau has spoken out, casting fresh doubt on the congresswoman’s claims about the scandal.
Ms Boebert previously suggested that the Beetlejuice show – where she and Quinn Gallagher, 46, were removed for allegedly vaping, singing, taking pictures and engaging in heavy petting – was the pair’s first date.
In fact, as she was forced to apologise for her behaviour as footage of the encounter leaked, the Republican congresswoman claimed she had split up with the bar owner after learning that he is a Democrat.
“All future date nights have been cancelled,” she said.
“And I learned to check party affiliations before you go on a date.”
But now, in an interview with TMZ, drag queen Kendra Matic has claimed that the right-wing lawmaker and Quinn Gallagher, 46, had actually been dating for a “few months” prior to their attendance at the show.
While shaking her head, Ms Matic questioned: “First date and somebody’s touching your boobies like that?”
Ms Matic praised Mr Gallagher, describing him as an “amazing” collaborator and saying that she loves his bar – which has hosted many LGBT+-friendly events, including the “Winter Wonderland Burlesque and Drag Show”.
“If he calls me, I’m gonna go to work with him again, of course, always,” she said.
However, the drag queen added that she did not approve of Ms Boebert or her “horrible” rhetoric.
“Of course, I don’t like this relationship, because I don’t like this girl,” she said.
“I don’t know why people care so much about what you do in your bed. At least I do that in my bed and not in a theatre.”
Several members of the Republican congresswoman’s own party have also criticised the lawmaker’s behaviour as hypocritical – given her opposition to LGBT+ rights such as claiming that drag performances will expose children to lewd sexual acts.
Lauren Boebert previosuly denied she was vaping at the show— (NBC)
Last June, Ms Boebert claimed: “Take your children to CHURCH, not drag bars.”
Meghan McCain called her out for her hypocrisy, writing on X: “She lectures everyone about the LGBT community being a threat to children while getting caught performing a lewd sex act in a public theatre where children possibly were.
“This is ‘family values’? This is why people think the GOP are all hypocrites.”
Ms Boebert and Mr Gallagher, who owns Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar in Aspen, came under fire for their conduct as they sat in the audience of a Beetlejuice show in a Colorado theatre earlier this month.
Surveillance footage from the show, obtained by NBC, appeared to show the congresswoman engaging in heavy petting with her male companion, which she later apologised for.
As well as “causing a disturbance” at the show, Ms Boebert was also accused of insulting a pregnant woman who was sitting behind her during the performance.
The Denver Post reported that the woman asked Ms Boebert to stop vaping, to which the congresswoman replied “no”.
Lauren Boebert removed from Beetlejuice show— (9News)
The woman, who described Ms Boebert’s behaviour as “outrageous”, also alleged the congresswoman called her a “sad and miserable person” after she asked to move seats during the intermission.
A police incident report, that did not name the lawmaker, revealed that Ms Boebert was warned about her behaviour during an intermission after three complaints were made. She was eventually told to leave.
“They told me they would not leave. I told them that they need to leave the theater and if they do not, they will be trespassing. The patrons said they would not leave. I told them I would (be) going to get Denver Police. They said go get them,” an usher is quoted as saying in the report.
The report states that the two theatregoers were then taken down to the vestibule, where they refused to leave, telling staff “stuff like ‘do you know who I am,’ ‘I am on the board’ (and) ‘I will be contacting the mayor’”.
Police arrived and stayed in the theatre until Ms Boebert and her companion left, according to the police report.
Following her ejection from the show, the congresswoman’s team initially denied any bad behaviour.
Her team also claimed that heavy fog machines and electronic cigarettes were used during the play, which led to a “misunderstanding” that the controversial politician was vaping.
But, surveillance footage disproved this claim, appearing to show the congresswoman using an electronic cigarette during the performance.
The footage also showed Ms Boebert taking flash photos during the show and raising her arms as if to dance.
Following the release of the footage, Ms Boebert apologised for her behaviour, but insisted her actions were not “malicious” and were not “meant to cause harm”. The congresswoman also said she “genuinely did not recall vaping” at the show.
In April, Ms Boebert filed for divorce from her husband of 18 years Jayson Boebert.
Ms Boebert has been contacted for comment.
