Gay Rep. Robert Garcia wins award for being one of Congress’ “thirstiest” members

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the first out gay immigrant congressman, was recently honored as one the the “thirstiest members of Congress” by the political news website Politico. He celebrated the award by posting an animated GIF of a RuPaul’s Drag Race competitor sipping on a drink — Garcia wrote, “I’m parched.”

Garcia won the “The Most Likely to Trumpet His Own Thirsty Award” in Politico‘s second-annual Thirsties Awards, an honor for “the members of Congress who have worked the hardest — at getting attention.”

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“It’s very un-American to attack and demonize migrants in the way that some of this majority continue do,” Rep. Garcia said.

The publication touted Garcia’s vocal opposition to colleagues who ardently support former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, writing that Garcia has made “clear he was eager to be a liberal counterweight to his soon-to-be MAGA colleagues before he was even elected in 2022.” Garcia has since delivered on that vow with “thirstastic relish,” Politico added.

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“No Democrat trolled [disgraced ex-House Rep. George] Santos (R-NY) harder and longer” than Garcia, the publication noted. Garcia led efforts to oust Santos after Santos was charged with 13 federal criminal counts for fraud.

Politico also noted that Garcia is a self-described “Bravo gay,” a reference to the cable TV network that shows lots of reality TV programming. Garcia once recited a speech from Bravo’s reality show, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, during a House Oversight Committee hearing. He also once gave an impassioned tribute to Beyoncé on the House floor to mark both the end of Black History Month and the beginning of Women’s History Month.

Garcia acknowledged his receipt of Politico‘s Thirsty award by posting an animated GIF of Drag Race star Adore Delano sipping on a straw in full drag. “I’m parched,” Garcia wrote.

I’m parched. https://t.co/LoSuFpdOjv pic.twitter.com/VY2C558RFx

— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) April 26, 2024

Santos won Politico‘s ‘The Gone But Not Forgotten Award,” and anti-LGBTQ+ Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) won its “Anything to Distract From My Own Scandal” Award “for making himself the central star of the biggest Congress story of 2023,” Gaetz’s ouster of now-former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Politico noted that Gatez allegedly ousted McCarthy in order to stop an ethics complaint accusing Gaetz of sleeping with a 17-year-old girl — Gaetz has continually denied doing so.

Surprisingly, outspoken far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) didn’t win a Thirsty award this year. However, last year, Politico gave her “The Donald J. Trump Award for Pretending to Hate the Media While Simultaneously Craving Their Affirmation” award.

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