A Dunmore drag performer is an unwilling political symbol in the congressional battle between U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan and Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti.
Frank Carey, who performs as Lady Lydia, is upset that a photo of he and Cognetti and used in a television ad supporting Bresnahan. Cognetti, a Democrat, is running Nov. 3 to unseat Bresnahan, a Republican, in the 8th Congressional District.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to raise money for legal fees to fight the use of Carey’s image and drag persona. It had collected $2,070 as of Monday morning.
“This was certainly never a situation I expected to find myself in, and asking for help isn’t always easy,” Carey wrote in a public Facebook post. “But sometimes you have to stand up and say enough is enough.”
The photo of Cognetti and Lady Lydia appears in the ad as the narration claims Cognetti is “a member of the radical group trying to force grown men in girls’ bathrooms and women’s sports.” Carey wrote that he supports Cognetti “100 percent” but the ad is “disrespectful and disappointing.”
The ad was paid for by NRCC and authorized by Rob for PA and approved by Rob Bresnahan, a disclaimer states. Requests for comment were not immediately returned by Carey nor the candidates’ campaigns.
The 8th Congressional District includes all of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.