Dungeons and draggings: How Dominatrix candidate Courtney Casgraux is 'reclaiming the flag' with little help from Playboy
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Courtney Casgraux, a Democratic Congressional Candidate, is embracing her past and is keen to reclaim the flag after her career took a hit when a video of her as a Manhattan dominatrix was leaked online.
The 41-year-old candidate is a self-described 'international businesswoman' who is running for Oregon's first congressional district seat in the US House of Representatives.
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However, her career fell in hot water after a video was leaked on Reddit, showing her working as a dominatrix in Manhattan during her 20s and 30s.
At that time, the single mother of a teenage son would charge clients $500 for playing the dominant role in BDSM activities, according to the Daily Mail.
When did Courtney Casgraux launch her campaign?
The California native launched her campaign to represent the western suburbs of Portland on June 7, a few months after learning about a controversial video showing her performing the duties of a BDSM dominatrix that had been posted on Reddit.
The shocking August 31 leak left Casgraux shocked and sent her into a state of panic. "[I was] just panicking. . . . Then I was like, ‘Who did this?’ and I just started calling every single person that I pretty much knew from my past. . . . I was like hyperventilating, crying," Casgraux told the New York Post.
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She described the upsetting moment she saw the video: 'My heart just kind of sank in and I went psycho.' During the COVID-19 epidemic, Casgraux returned to the BDSM business, this time as an S&M club employee in Donatella's Dungeon in Midtown Manhattan.
Although Casgraux was never able to determine who was behind the video leak, she told the outlet that she believes whoever is responsible was attempting to 'shame' her.
“To shame me for something that helped create the life that I have today where I have opportunity … made me really mad. Because it felt like an attack on women, not just an attack on me,” she said.
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Courtney Casgraux thanks Playboy for partnership
Casgraux is now reclaiming her sexuality, starting with a partnership in a Playboy campaign. She recently created a Playboy profile where she may sell her explicit photos for up to $150 apiece.
Casgraux, who doesn't receive compensation from Playboy, shares additional content on her profile, including her opinions on the difficulties encountered by American farmers and an explanation of how Article 2 of the Constitution grants presidential powers and impeachment, according to Fox News Digital.
“First and foremost, I would like to thank Playboy for giving me the opportunity to express what freedom means to me and welcoming me into the Playboy family. Over the last month, Playboy has not only championed me but my Congressional Campaign,” the former dominatrix wrote in an Instagram post.
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My journey with Playboy is just beginning so be on the lookout for more things to come. Secondly, I’m reclaiming this American Flag and what it represents, and that's FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR ALL,” she continued.
The Oregon Democrat wrote on her campaign website, “As a fiercely independent single mother who has had to navigate the adversities of life, I understand firsthand the struggles that American families face on a daily basis.”
Casgraux, who comes from a family of both Republicans and Democrats, claimed that she is running for Congress to “empower Americans to fight for a democracy that truly represents the desires and needs of working families.”
Among the key political issues she is focusing on in her campaign are securing LGBTQ rights and equality, defending abortion rights nationwide, comprehensive gun reform, taking immediate action on climate change, and safeguarding our natural resources.