{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-jill-tokuda-gives-speech-congratulating-sasha-colby-rupaul-drag-race", "Rep. Jill Tokuda Gives Speech Congratulating Sasha Colby, RuPaul Drag Race Winner, and Honoring Hawaiian M\u0101h\u016b Trans Culture", "2023-04-26", "2023", "2023-04", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Jill N. Tokuda", "T000487", "tokuda.house.gov", "tokuda", "https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases?PageNum_rs=10&", "scraper", "(Washington, DC) \u2013 Today, Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) addressed the U.S. House of Representatives to congratulate Hawai\u02bbi-born drag performer, Sasha Kekauhoa, more famously known as Sasha Colby, on being crowned the winner of \u201cRuPaul\u2019s Drag Race\u201d Season 15.\n\n\u201cI am so proud that a fellow Windward girl, hailing from the homesteads of Waimanalo, has earned the title of America\u2019s Next Drag Superstar,\u201d said Rep. Jill Tokuda. \u201cFrom the very start of the 15-week-long competition, Sasha put her vulnerabilities front and center for the world to see, often drawing upon her Native Hawaiian and Irish heritage and childhood trauma as sources of inspiration for her performances. Throughout Drag Race, she authentically represented her Hawaiian culture both in her looks and interviews, talking about the legacy she\u2019s building for her home state and about being m\u0101h\u016b.\u201d\n\n\u201cToday, we are seeing increasing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights that particularly target trans people and drag queens including state laws banning drag queen performances and gender affirming care. In her own words, Sasha says, \u2018I am literally the living embodiment of what they want to eradicate.\u2019 Sasha\u2019s win is not only well deserved; it gives us hope,\u201d said Rep. Jill Tokuda.\n\nA video of Rep. Tokuda\u2019s remarks can be viewed here and downloaded for media use here.\n\nRep. Tokuda\u2019s remarks as written:\n\n\u201cI rise today to congratulate Hawai\u02bbi-born Sasha Kekauoha, more famously known as Sasha Colby, on being crowned the winner of \u201cRuPaul\u2019s Drag Race\u201d Season 15.\n\nI am so proud that a fellow Windward girl, hailing from the homesteads of Waimanalo, has earned the title of America\u2019s Next Drag Superstar.\n\nFrom the very start of the competition, Sasha, a seasoned drag legend, drew upon her ethnic heritage and childhood trauma as sources of inspiration for her performances.\n\nThroughout \u2018Drag Race,\u2019 she authentically represented her Hawaiian culture, talking about the legacy she\u2019s building for our home state and about being m\u0101h\u016b.\n\nIn ancient Hawaiian days, m\u0101h\u016b were considered \u201cextraordinary individuals of male and female spirit,\u201d who brought their healing powers to O\u2018ahu from Tahiti.\u201d\n\nToday, trans people are among the most revered members in the Hawaiian community.\n\nAmidst ongoing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights that particularly target trans people and drag queens, her win is not only well-deserved, it gives us hope.\n\nCongratulations, Sasha Colby. You are a leader, a proud m\u0101h\u016b, and every drag queen\u2019s favorite drag queen.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:44:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://tokuda.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-jill-tokuda-gives-speech-congratulating-sasha-colby-rupaul-drag-race"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.583040226250887, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}