A Democrat Senate candidate, looking to court the votes of working and middle-class families in Iowa, held a campaign event at a Leftist bookstore that once promoted a 14-year-old \u201cdrag queen\u201d and routinely stocks sexually explicit books parents don\u2019t want their kids to access at school.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Zach Wahls, running for the seat currently held by Senator Joni Ernst, hosted an event at the Ames-based Dog-Eared Books, a bookstore that remains a haven for leftist ideology. The bookstore has promoted \u201cDrag Queen Story Hour\u201d for children and called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the event, Wahls and his wife, romance novelist Chloe Angyal, <\/span>discussed<\/span><\/a> \u201cthe art of storytelling, the demands of public service, and the intersection of writing and advocacy.\u201d They also discussed how their \u201cparallel careers as authors have shaped their approach to politics, family, and the urgent work of building a better Iowa.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While Wahls has portrayed himself as a moderate seeking to work across partisan lines, Dog-Eared Books was a fitting venue for the Senate hopeful. Wahls has a documented history of advocating for leftist politics, though he pledges<\/a> to \u201calways put Iowa families first, no matter what.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In September 2021, Dog-Eared Books <\/span>promoted<\/span><\/a> a teenage boy \u201cdrag performer\u201d who goes by the stage name Lonika LaBelle Knight.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLonika is a 14 years old drag queen with almost three years of experience under her belt. She nabbed the title of Miss Mason City Youth Pride and performs regularly at Lefty\u2019s Live Music and The Garden Nightclub,\u201d the bookstore posted on Instagram. \u201cShe can dance, twirl and capture the attention of everyone in a room with sass and class!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That same performer returned in June 2023 for \u201ca drag storytime\u201d aimed at children. The bookstore <\/span>posted<\/span><\/a> on Instagram that the event would \u201cfeature movement activities alongside a picture book reading so kids can engage both their minds and bodies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Dog-Eared Books\/Instagram.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dog-Eared Books has <\/span>hosted<\/span><\/a> a \u201cTattoos for Palestine\u201d fundraiser, <\/span>maintains<\/span><\/a> a \u201cBooks for Fighting Fascism\u201d list that includes a book by leftist Senator Bernie Sanders, <\/span>called<\/span><\/a> for ICE to be abolished, and has a \u201cYou Can\u2019t Read That At School\u201d book <\/span>selection<\/span><\/a>. That section includes books like \u201cLet\u2019s Talk About It,\u201d a graphic novel that contains explicit depictions of sex.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The bookstore also released a <\/span>statement<\/span><\/a> slamming Iowa Republicans when they voted<\/a> to pass a law shielding kids from transgender procedures. It also raised<\/a> over $3,000 for the Iowa Trans Mutual Fund, a group<\/a> that provides grants to Iowans seeking \u201cgender-affirming care.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As a state senator, Wahls has vehemently opposed laws aimed at protecting kids from transgender surgeries and cross-sex hormonal procedures. He <\/span>claimed<\/span><\/a> that there was \u201cblood on the hands\u201d of Iowa Republicans who supported the law. His opposition was based on questionable evidence that claimed children would be more likely to commit suicide if they weren\u2019t given transgender procedures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Wahls, who rose<\/a> to prominence after discussing his experience of being raised by a lesbian couple, has close connections to One Iowa<\/a>, an activist group \u201crooted in intersectional advocacy for LGBTQ Iowans.\u201d Wahls toured with the group to promote gay marriage back in 2012 and even presented<\/a> an award to them.<\/span><\/p>\n One Iowa <\/span>offers<\/span><\/a> to help gender-confused kids access cross-sex hormones from out-of-state providers and schedule surgeries outside of Iowa. The group<\/span>\u00a0pushes girls to find breast binders to compress their chest so that it looks more masculine and other gender-confused kids to pursue \u201cvoice therapy.\u201d The radical organization <\/span>praised<\/span><\/a> Wahls for supporting male participation in female sports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Despite his links to the far-Left, Wahls\u2019 <\/span>campaign website<\/span><\/a> portrays him as a moderate focused on cutting costs and combatting political corruption. Wahls <\/span>claims<\/span><\/a> to support securing the border by hiring thousands more Border Patrol agents and immigration judges, and wants to ensure \u201csecure\u201d elections. He also says he wants to \u201crestore abortion access,\u201d pass paid family and medical leave, and a path to \u201clegal status\u201d for illegal aliens \u201cwho\u2019ve been here for years, are working, and haven\u2019t committed crimes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM.png\")
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