A new political advertisement targeting North Carolina Democrat U.S. congressional candidate Jamie Ager over a family-friendly festival featuring drag performers at his family’s farm has prompted backlash from LGBTQ activists, including a cease-and-desist demand from one performer and a separate demand for its removal from Blue Ridge Pride as Election Day approaches.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has begun running an advertisement based on an October 16 Breitbart News report revealing that Ager’s family business, Hickory Nut Gap Farms, hosted a May 2019 festival that promoted activities for children and featured the Beer City Sisters, a group associated with drag performances that described itself as “a group of 21st Century nuns dedicated to the promulgation of universal joy and the expiation of stigmatic guilt.”
Members of the group used names including “Sister Anita Felching” and “Sister Helen Bedd.” The advertisement also highlights a $5,000 contribution disclosed in Ager’s campaign finance filing to Blue Ridge Pride, an organization whose stated vision is to create “a vibrant, inclusive community where all LGBTQIA2S+ individuals in WNC [Western North Carolina] experience belonging and live with dignity, equity, hope and joy.”
The North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) shared the advertisement on social media as Ager faces Republican state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.
The 30-second advertisement opens with a warning reading “Not suitable for children,” followed by an AI-generated depiction of Ager declaring, “Do you know what we need more of in Washington D.C.? Barn dances!”
The narrator then states, “Jamie Ager hosted the drag queen barn dance, featuring Sister Dominatrix and Sister Helen Bedd in his barn with kids. Last month, Ager wrote a check to Blue Ridge Pride, whose family-friendly festival featured Divine Holeburn and Will Pounder.”
“Jamie Ager talks like you and me on TV, but he’s dancing with they/them,” the narrator concludes.
Hickory Nut Gap specifically promoted the Beer City Sisters ahead of the event in an April 11, 2019, Facebook post.
“Perhaps the most benevolent of all our guests, we are honored to have the Beer City Sisters, Abbey of All Souls joining us!” the farm wrote.
The post described the performers as “altruistic nuns” whose mission was to “promote and celebrate diversity, social awareness, universal joy, and eradicate the stigma of guilt.”
“The sisters serve our local community through the use of self expression and irreverent humor for advocacy, education, outreach and philanthropy! And they look fantastic doing so!” the farm added.
According to this May 2019 Beer City Sisters post, members of the group had the nicknames featured in the ad at the time of the event.
Following the release of the new Republican advertisement, individuals associated with the drag community began responding on social media.
Sister Domina Trix, identified in the notice as Tara Schlayer, issued a cease-and-desist notice on social media directed at the North Carolina Republican Party, accusing it of using the performer’s name and likeness without permission.
“Everything and everyone in this video is a 100% fake Ai generated video,” the notice stated.
“You are hereby directed to immediately cease and desist from using my name, likeness, and any AI-generated video or moving image depicting me without my express permission,” Schlayer wrote. “Your use of my identity in a fabricated news reel is unauthorized and misleading.”
“I demand that you immediately remove the content from all platforms, cease any further use or distribution, and refrain from creating or publishing any similar material using my identity,” the notice continued.
“I reserve all rights to pursue available legal remedies should this misuse continue. Please consider this formal notice and confirm compliance promptly,” Schlayer concluded.
Nova Jynah, also known as Ethan Lane Fletcher, also responded to the advertisement in a social media video, criticizing its use of AI and remarking that “y’all had to waste our clean water” to create it.
Divinity Holeburn appeared to make light of the controversy on social media, sharing a colorful graphic asking, “Who has a barn in Asheville for our dance party?” and suggesting a “Jamie Ager win party?”
Will Pounder also responded on Facebook, writing, “And if anyone wants to come to The Odd or Banks Ave. looking busted as fuck in business attire to play the part of Jennifer Balkcom for Congress, I’ll buy you a drink (or a snack).”
“This no lip, all tooth rat just started something she is bound to lose. Let’s rally together as a community and show her who tf we REALLY are since she wants spread misinformation, fear monger and paint targets on our backs,” Pounder continued.
Blue Ridge Pride, the LGBTQ organization referenced in the advertisement, also issued a letter to Republican state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom demanding its removal.
“You recently aired an ad that utilized Blue Ridge Pride’s logo, as well as made false claims about donations made to Blue Ridge Pride,” Madison Root, president of Blue Ridge Pride’s Board of Directors, wrote.
“While attack ads are garish in and of themselves, using AI generated falsehoods is appalling,” Root continued. “Blue Ridge Pride is a 501(c)(3), which holds itself to the highest standard when it comes to remaining bipartisan. Unlike local politicians, we do not accept money from just any source, which includes politicians themselves. We have retained no funds from Jamie Ager.”
“Your advertisement could be considered libel and should be pulled from the air immediately,” Root added. “Please advise when the ad is properly removed.”
Blue Ridge Pride also issued a press release on October 23 confirming that Ager had applied to sponsor its 2026 Pride Festival, but that his application was denied and the accompanying funds were returned.
“Representative Jennifer Balkcom has made a serious accusation that Jamie Ager donated money to Blue Ridge Pride. As a 501(c)(3), Blue Ridge Pride holds itself to the highest standard when it comes to donations,” the statement read.
“While Jamie Ager did apply for sponsorship at the 2026 Pride Festival, his application was denied and the accompanying funds were returned. Pride is a sacred space for LGBTQ+ expression, not a platform for political candidates.”
The organization also addressed the advertisement’s use of artificial intelligence.
“Unlike these politicians, we do not rely on AI to generate events that did not happen. We work hard, in person, to make Pride and all our yearly events worth talking about,” the statement continued.
“Join us for another year of growth, community programs, and queer joy! As a reminder, early voting is happening now through 10/31 and election day is 11/3!”
Since the advertisement began circulating, Hickory Nut Gap’s Facebook post promoting the Beer City Sisters has been locked. The 2019 “Fantasy Festival at the Farm” event page displays a notice stating, “Post permissions for this event have been turned off for guests. The posts you see were made by the host or were posted before the permissions changed.”
“Liberal Jamie Ager is sending his left-wing army to attack his political opponents after being exposed for hosting events exposing young children to inappropriate performances from individuals like Sister Domina Trix and Sister Helen Bedd. The NRCC stands by the ad, and Ager owes North Carolina voters answers for why he’s trying to push sexualized performers onto kids,” NRCC Spokesman Reilly Richardson said.