Republican politicians get AI makeover as US states target drag performers

An Instagram account is using artificial intelligence to show Republican politicians in a whole new light to raise awareness of LGBT-oppressive laws in the US.

Rupublicans has posted a series of AI-generated images of right-wing figures made up as drag queens.

Donald Trump's former colleagues make up a number of the posts, including former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, former vice-president Mike Pence, and Mr Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Each drag alter-ego image is accompanied by what the real-life lawmaker has said about the LGBT+ community, and their opinions on the rising number of drag bans in the US.

In March, Tennessee became the first state to explicitly ban drag shows in public spaces after the state's Republican governor signed a bill classifying the artform as adult cabaret.

Further anti-drag bills have been filed in at least 14 other states since the start of the year.

Rupublicans creators say right-wing politicians in the country are "serving up false narratives" about drag and hopes the account shows "drag really isn’t that scary".

None of the politicians featured on the account have commented.

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