The Stockholm deputy mayor donned red lipstick and a ruffled wig as he dressed in drag during a children’s adventure session as part of a campaign against intolerance and corruption. populism today, reports The telegraph.

Jan Jönsson, 45 and a member of the bourgeois Liberalerna party, is behind the campaign. He launched the campaign in response to repeated criticism from Swedish Democrats that drag queens are holding adventure sessions for children in libraries and visits to Dramaten.

[ – Vi har alltid frykten i bakhodet ]

– I use myself as a kind of canvas for drag artists… to be able to say that we believe that everyone should have the freedom to express themselves, he told the AFP news agency.

– Some political parties have tried to restrict the freedom of others, especially drag queens. With this attitude, I hope more people can say, “OK, now that’s enough.” Sweden must be a free country!

During a televised debate in early May, Jimmie Åkesson, the leader of Sweden’s Democrats, said he was “crazy” that taxpayers’ money was being used for drag queen history lessons. He notably dealt with a drag performer known as “Shameless Winehore”, who is called “Miss Shameless” in history lessons. In a video clip posted to Twitter, Jönsson wears a curly blonde wig, false eyelashes, a sky blue dress with red flowers and high heels.

Sitting on a chair, surrounded by children sitting on the floor, Jönsson reads a passage from “Brødrene Løvehjerte” by renowned Swedish children’s author Astrid Lindgren about standing up for what you believe in, even if it’s dangerous.

– Stories are not dangerous for children. And they’re not drag queens either. But populism and intolerance are dangerous for children and adults, says Jönsson in the ad. Jönsson has previously led a liberal campaign against rising gang crime in Sweden, where the politician in a floral shirt and blue blazer was branded “gangs’ worst enemy”.

[ Torbjørn Vereide syns det går for treigt å skille seg ]