{"id":112877,"date":"2026-01-26T16:12:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T16:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/112877\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T16:12:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T16:12:28","slug":"drag-queens-erika-qwerk-parody-of-erika-kirk-draws-cheers-outrage-and-discourse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/112877\/","title":{"rendered":"Drag queen’s “Erika Qwerk” parody of Erika Kirk draws cheers, outrage, and discourse"},"content":{"rendered":"

Erika Kirk, who took over Turning Point USA<\/a> after her husband Charlie was killed on Sep. 10, 2025, has become fodder for drag queen comedy. <\/p>\n

Critics have posited that she seems far too comfortable in the spotlight, to the point that her flashy TPA appearances became the subject of<\/a> a massive meme trend across X last year.<\/p>\n

Now, LA-based drag queen Lauren Banall (@laurenbanall<\/a>) is taking the parody a step further, donning Kirk’s signature bright colors to perform as “Erika Qwerk” in performances racking up millions of views across TikTok.<\/p>\n

\"A@laurenbanall\/TikTok<\/a><\/p>\n

Dressed in a red blazer with stark cat-eye makeup and icy blue contacts, Banall is seen lip-syncing to audio clips of Kirk, pairing the performance with physical comedy and over-emphasizing Kirk’s physicality on stage.<\/p>\n

A viral drag impression took a hit at Erika Kirk\u2019s public image<\/p>\n

Banall posted the first video<\/a> of her newest drag look on TikTok<\/a>, where it reached over 7 million views. In it, she lip-synced to Kirk reciting Luke 23:34, leaning into Kirk’s verbal stumble of the line so iconic that even non-Christians are familiar with it.<\/p>\n

The audio came from the memorial service for<\/a> Charlie Kirk<\/a>, where Erika said, “forgive them, for they not know what they do.” Banall gave the crowd an exaggerated grimace before pivoting into Cascada\u2019s “Evacuate The Dancefloor.”<\/p>\n

\"A@laurenbanall\/TikTok<\/a><\/p>\n

In another video from the event, the drag queen pulled audio from an interview with the new head of CBS News, Bari Weiss. In that interview, Kirk called out conservative commentator Candace Owens<\/a> and others for pushing conspiracy theories about her late husband’s death. <\/p>\n

Banall added horror-movie music to the audio clip and turned her wide-eyed stare to the camera for comedic effect.<\/p>\n

She later shared a link to her GoFundMe<\/a> to raise money for the ACLU “so we can fight this administration in the courts and win.”<\/p>\n

The internet reacts to “Erika Qwerk”<\/p>\n

The response to Banall’s drag performance<\/a> was predictable; overwhelmingly positive from liberals and denigrated by conservatives, some of whom called the act “disgusting” and insulted the queen online.<\/p>\n

Infamous far-right anti-gay account Libs of TikTok<\/a> tweeted, “Drag queen named ‘Erika Qwerk’ is now mocking Erika Kirk grieving after her husband was ass*ssinated. Absolutely disgusting.”<\/p>\n

\"Tweet@jerseyh0mo\/X<\/a>\"Tweet@KubbySlash\/X<\/a><\/p>\n

“The eyes are perfect. And she\u2019ll hate this, which is the cherry on top,” wrote u\/Kidgorgeoushere<\/a> on the r\/Fauxmoi subreddit.<\/p>\n

“The unhinged eyes are so on point,” chimed in u\/grilledcheese2332<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Tweet@MJdowntheshore\/X<\/a><\/p>\n

Banall was overwhelmed by the response to her drag routine and shared her thanks for the enthusiasm in a time when everything felt “so helpless.” <\/p>\n

She told Advocate<\/a>, “I think it came from feeling so helpless and gaslit in this political moment. So many things feel so insane, so not-normal, and it feels like no one is addressing it.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

She went on to add, “I kept seeing [Erika Kirk] over and over again in different interviews and events, and kept being bewildered by her strange behavior. Eventually, I saw a TikTok where someone added the horror noise every time she squinted her icy blue eyes in a menacing manner, and it made me laugh so hard. I thought, ‘finally it feels like someone sees what I see.'”<\/p>\n

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