SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – San Jose is making history. A drag queen performed at the San Jose city council meeting Tuesday evening. It’s the first time this has happened in the city’s history.

George Dowens, who goes by his drag name Woo Woo Monroe, sang his heart out Tuesday afternoon in front of the San Jose city council.

“It was received very well. I got a standing ovation by the audience and board members,” Monroe said of the performance. 

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Monroe was invited to sing by councilmember Omar Torres. Torres, the first Latino gay city council member in San Jose, partnered with “Project More”, a Bay Area LGBTQ nonprofit to make the performance happen. He says performing drag should be embraced by the community.

“Performing drag allows our LGBTQ folks to be themselves. We shouldn’t be making it illegal, we should embrace it,” Torres said. 

Torres says the city of San Jose stands against anti-drag, anti-gay legislation and would like the city to be leading in embracing the LGBTQ community.

“Our city should be the sanctuary where we invest and uplift our LGBTQ and non-binary folks so they can develop their talent, creativity and become architects of their lives,” he said. 

“I’m just very glad I was the first drag Queen to perform at a city council meeting,” Monroe said.