In yet another sign of how far news media has fallen, News Center Maine (WCSH-6) — one of the state’s leading left-wing television stations — replaced its weather team in favor of a drag queen named Chartreuse Money, whose real name is Jake Boyce, as part of a Pride Month stunt in collaboration with Pride Portland.

The segment featured Boyce fully dressed in drag and energetically engaging with viewers. “Honey it is 80 degrees in Portland now honey, and we are feeling the effects. The sun is out, all it took was a Pride Parade to bring the sunshine out today, but honey it is hot all over the state,” Boyce declared during the forecast.

Throughout the broadcast, the station’s meteorologist coached Boyce on how to present the weather, referring to him repeatedly as “mother” — a popular drag term of endearment.

“Now, mother, we are going to have to teach you how to do the weather. This is one of the most fun things ever to do, is teach people how to do the weather,” said the meteorologist during the segment.

Boyce, using a flamboyant style and frequently calling the audience “honey,” misidentified a high-pressure zone symbol as a hurricane, though the mistake was quickly corrected on air.

Outside of television appearances, Boyce is well known in Maine’s drag scene and has headlined multiple “drag queen story hour” events — where drag performers read books to children. In February 2025, he participated in a story hour at the Portland Public Library, advertised as appropriate for babies under one month old.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Boyce holds a degree in Dance from Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts. He previously worked as an Educational Technician at Raymond A. Geiger Elementary School in Lewiston from 2016 to 2018, before transitioning into full-time drag performance.

The Pride-themed segment drew both praise and criticism online, with supporters calling it a fun and inclusive moment in local broadcasting, while others questioned the appropriateness and professional tone of the segment for a mainstream news program.

News Center Maine has not issued a formal statement in response to the feedback.