Drag Queen Erika Kirk Parody Goes Viral
- Funny
- Offensive
January 23rd, 2026 – In a media landscape where political commentary often feels entrenched and hostile, one drag performer is breaking through the noise with biting satire — and a surprising mission.
Los Angeles–based drag artist Lauren Banall, better known online as Erika Qwerk, has become an internet sensation for her uncanny and campy impersonations of Erika Kirk, the conservative activist and CEO of Turning Point USA, who rose to national prominence following the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk.
Banall’s videos, posted on TikTok and shared across other social platforms, feature her in full drag: a crisp red blazer, exaggerated makeup, icy blue contact lenses and, crucially, a knack for mimicking Kirk’s distinctive expressions and mannerisms. The performances range from straight lip-syncs of the real Erika Kirk’s public speeches to fully staged satirical numbers layered with dance and pop music.
One of her most viewed clips — now seen by millions — sets Kirk’s own memorial speech over an uptempo dance track, playing on the haunting solemnity of the words before erupting into light-hearted choreography. Another video repurposes audio from a television interview in which Kirk urges commentators to “stop” spreading conspiracy theories about her late husband’s death. Banall elevates the clip with horror-movie-style music and her signature bug-eyed stares, to uproarious effect.
The character name Erika Qwerk itself nods to Banall’s playful yet piercing critique: part homage and part exaggeration, emblematic of drag’s historical role as social commentary. While initially intended “to make myself and my friends laugh,” Banall says the act emerged from a deeper place of feeling “helpless and gaslit” in a fraught political climate, driven by a desire to “hold a mirror up to life” through performance.
What sets Banall’s work apart from past viral drag moments is how she has leveraged her visibility for activism. Rather than simply reveling in laughs, she has encouraged her audience to support the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)— a civil rights organization that champions LGBTQ+ rights and fights anti-drag and anti-LGBTQ legislation. Donations driven by her viral clips are funneled into the ACLU’s Drag Defense Fund and broader civil liberties efforts.
“I’m a drag queen, I’m not going to be the one to fight this administration in the courts,” Banall told The Advocate, “but I can use my art to raise money for those who can.”
The response to Erika Qwerk has been strikingly cross-sectional: while many on the political left celebrate the humor and the message, Banall says even some conservative viewers have admitted they find the act amusing — a testament to drag’s enduring power to transcend partisan divides through performance and satire.
What began as a comedic experiment has blossomed into a cultural conversation piece — one that blurs the lines between entertainment, political critique, and artistic activism. Whether you see it as sharp commentary or just good old camp, Erika Qwerk has carved out a unique place at the intersection of drag and national discourse.