Eric Lipka, a recent addition to the Biden-Harris campaign as a deputy press secretary for Pennsylvania, has drawn attention for his weekend performances as a drag queen.
Lipka, who previously worked in Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office, announced his new role on social media, which led to a mix of congratulations and criticism.
Democrat Staffer Eric Lipka Joins Biden-Harris Campaign While Performing as a Drag Queen on Weekends
The post received hundreds of thousands of views, with some mocking his move to the Biden campaign and highlighting his drag queen persona described in his bio.
Drag queen Nubia Love-Jackson shared a photo on Facebook in 2022 with Lipka, captioned, “The girls that drag together, [eggplant emoji] bottoms down together,” to which Lipka replied, “babyyyyy u already know.” Despite the scrutiny, the Biden campaign has expressed strong support for Lipka.
Jack Doyle, the Pennsylvania communications director for the campaign, defended Lipka, saying, “We’re proud to have a team of 200 talented Pennsylvania staffers, including Eric, highlighting Trump’s record killing 275,000 jobs across the commonwealth and his discriminatory and extreme Project 2025 agenda to make life worse for our families.”
Lipka’s social media accounts, which include X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, feature numerous photos promoting events with drag queens in Washington, D.C., and Connecticut. One notable post shows Lipka with ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ season 15 winner Sasha Colby, captioned, “When 2 worlds collide: staffing the boss to meet [Sasha Colby].” On his LinkedIn profile, Lipka detailed how he facilitated a meet-and-greet with Sasha Colby while interning for Rep. Robert Garcia, emphasizing his contributions as a gay Latino to Garcia’s office.
Lipka’s social media presence under the drag name “Erotica” includes thousands of followers. His X bio reads “woman from the neck up,” and his Instagram bio describes him as “DC’s twirling twunk,” a term from the LGBTQ community indicating someone with the appearance of a youthful “twink” but the physique of a muscular “hunk.”
The Biden campaign’s support for Lipka comes amid backlash over other recent hires. Tyler Cherry, promoted to deputy press secretary at the White House, faced criticism for past tweets comparing police to slave patrols and making anti-Israel comments.
Additionally, Andy Volosky, newly appointed as the deputy director of platforms for the White House digital team, was scrutinized for celebrating the social media ban on President Trump.
In response to these controversies, the Biden administration has consistently defended its hiring decisions. Regarding both Cherry and Volosky, statements from the White House emphasized their pride in the team members they have brought on board.