Drag Queen Official Removes 'Homophobic' Traffic Signs, Sparking Controversy

Maebe A. Girl, a drag queen and elected official in Los Angeles' Silver Lake neighborhood, explains her decision to remove traffic signs she deemed "homophobic," sparking both support and backlash.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Maebe A. Girl, a member of the Silver Lake neighborhood council, shed light on her decision to remove traffic signs prohibiting U-turns from midnight to 6 a.m. These signs, installed in 1997, were intended to discourage gay men from cruising for hookups in the area.

"Cruising is a euphemism for gay men searching for sex," Maebe explained. "And I'm not here to say I'm here to make sure that gay men can cruise for sex. The point of the original signs being installed in Silver Lake was a response to what was perceived by LAPD and neighbors in the area of gay men cruising for sex."

Drag Queen Official Removes 'Homophobic' Traffic Signs, Sparking Controversy

Maebe's actions sparked controversy, with critics arguing that removing the signs could compromise public safety. However, Maebe disputes this notion.

"People are saying they're fed up with the queer community because we've gone too far," she said. "We've asked for too much. Now we're saying, ‘No U-turn signs are homophobic,’ which is absolutely not the case. This was just a local issue that we were asked to address. We did, and it just traveled very far outside of our community."

Drag Queen Official Removes 'Homophobic' Traffic Signs, Sparking Controversy

Maebe further emphasized that the signs were selectively enforced, being in effect only during the least busy hours of the night. "If U-turns were really a problem on this residential streets, then the no U-turn signs should be in effect 24/7," she said. "They should not have been in effect only in what is arguably the least busy time for traffic, midnight to 6 a.m. So, cops were using this as a way to sort of crack down on the queer community in the neighborhood."

Maebe's decision to remove the signs gained national attention, appearing on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. Right-wing accounts, in particular, expressed shock and disapproval.

Drag Queen Official Removes 'Homophobic' Traffic Signs, Sparking Controversy

"I'll say I'm not the spokesperson for the ‘Free Palestine’ movement," Maebe said, addressing her involvement with "Queers for Palestine." "But I will say that I am a proponent. I am a supporter."

To explain her position, Maebe drew parallels to the current state of LGBTQ rights in the U.S. "To me, it's just pink washing and saying, 'How can you support ['Free Palestine'] if you're a queer person?' when I'm not even supported as a queer person here in the United States?" she said.

Drag Queen Official Removes 'Homophobic' Traffic Signs, Sparking Controversy

"I'm not free unless everybody is free," Maebe continued. "And to me, it just seems that you have to be, you know, willing to extend that liberation to everybody, even if they don't agree with every part of your particular identity."

Maebe's actions and perspectives ignited a heated debate, exposing the complexities and tensions surrounding the intersectionality of LGBTQ rights, public safety, and geopolitical issues.