Canadian Drag Queen Theater Announces Star-Studded ‘Drag for Palestine’ Fundraiser

A Vancouver performance venue known as The Birdhouse is organizing a drag show intended to raise funds for Palestinian causes. The event is planned for May 3 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is expected to include a performance by Eureka O’Hara, a contestant known from the television competition RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Eureka O’Hara, born David Huggard, identifies as a transgender woman and gained national attention after appearing on the ninth and tenth seasons of the drag competition series. O’Hara later returned to the franchise as a contestant on the sixth season of the All Stars edition and went on to co-host the HBO program “We’re Here” from 2020 through 2022.

The planned fundraiser has drawn attention because LGBTQ+ rights remain a contentious issue in parts of Palestinian-governed territories. In Gaza, where Hamas exercises control, same-sex relationships are criminalized under existing laws. Social attitudes toward homosexuality in many areas governed by Palestinian authorities are also widely viewed as conservative.

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Drag queens set to host ‘Drag for Palestine’ event in Vancouver to raise money for Palestine.

In Palestine LGBTQI+ people are severely persecuted and often killed for their identity. pic.twitter.com/SiVg4y0idT

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) March 16, 2026

Critics of the fundraiser argue that there is a contradiction in Western LGBTQ+ communities supporting Palestinian causes when LGBTQ+ identities are often rejected or restricted in those regions. They point to the legal penalties and social pressures faced by gay and transgender people in Gaza as examples.

Others note that Israel has adopted a number of policies and legal protections that recognize LGBTQ+ rights, making it one of the more LGBTQ-inclusive countries in the region.

Supporters of the Vancouver event say the fundraiser is intended to express solidarity with Palestinians facing humanitarian challenges, while opponents contend that the political and social realities in the region raise questions about the alignment between the causes being supported and the identities of those organizing the event.

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