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As the Trump administration’s efforts have choked off federal funding for LGBTQ groups, Keisha Lance Bottoms, former mayor of Atlanta and Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee, is sponsoring an upcoming Halloween event open to children that will include drag shows.
“From 5-8, the little monsters roam free trick-or-treating through spooky trails and glowing Halloween worlds, and when night falls — the hallo queen show explodes with music, costumes and pure Halloween spectacle,” ColGay Pride, an LGBTQ+ group based in Columbus, Georgia, said in a video.
Notably, the group’s programming states that the “adults-only” portion of the night, which includes the drag shows, will begin after 9 p.m.
Even so, Lance Bottoms’ support of the Halloween event, which includes a haunted walk, s’mores, an adult-and-kids costume contest — all centered around gender expression — adds to her record of supporting LGBTQ-related content around children.
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ColGay Pride describes its goal as “promoting diversity, inclusion and equality for the LGBTQ community in Columbus and the surrounding areas and create a supportive and affirming environment through our programs and events.”
The group, which is throwing its final Halloween celebration after 13 years, said that Trump’s federal funding cuts had made it dependent on individual contributions.
“We are closing our doors next year,” the group wrote.
“It has become far too difficult to raise money when our financial aid was cut off completely under Trump, when our own citizens — the very people we have served for twenty years — do not donate. Sometimes you simply reach a point where enough is enough,” the post read.
The group thanked Lance Bottoms for her support in a post to Facebook with a “digital sponsorship certificate.”
It’s unclear how much she contributed to the event.
Bottoms’ gubernatorial bid has been complicated by political liabilities. The Campaign Finance Commission fined her $37,000 in 2021 for accepting over $60,000 in contributions that exceeded legal limits as well as $110,000 that exceeded debt caps. She also announced that she would not pursue re-election as mayor of Atlanta amid a COVID-19 crime wave that spiked homicides by 58% over levels from the year before.
In addition to those controversies, Bottoms has also received criticism from conservatives for her stances on gender policy.
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Recently, in a gubernatorial debate, the former mayor said she would have vetoed the Riley Gaines Act — a piece of legislation that banned biological men from competing in women’s sports.
“I believe that decisions about who competes and how people compete shouldn’t be happening at the state capitol. I don’t support the government making decisions about who should compete in athletics. I believe that decision should be left to respective athletic associations,” Bottoms said.
That comment, in particular, has become a key campaign quote for her opponent, Rick Jackson, a businessman and the Republican nominee to replace outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp, as they set out to attack Bottoms’ far-left positions on issues of gender and sexuality.
“Keisha Bottoms and the other Democrats said they’d have vetoed the Riley Gaines Act. They won’t protect girls’ sports, but they will open the floodgates for woke ideology in our schools. We’re going to make sure they don’t get the chance,” the campaign said in a post to X, highlighting the debate moment.
Notably, Bottoms’ sponsorship of the upcoming Halloween event isn’t the first time she has supported drag-themed activities.
In 2019, as mayor, she invited Ms. Terra Cotta Sugarbaker, a drag queen, to host a story hour after the Fulton County library system removed a scheduled “drag queen story time” from its events.
“Ms. Terra Cotta Sugarbaker and all our LGBTQ friends are always welcome at Atlanta City Hall. How about we host your next story hour? Let’s make it happen!” she wrote in a post to X.
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The Bottoms campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the upcoming event, what was included in her sponsorship, or whether it was appropriate to have children present for events centered around sexuality and gender expression.
Having cleared her primary, Bottoms will face off against Jackson in the state’s Nov. 3, 2025, general election.
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