Trans-actor-author-activist Jesse James Rose claimed in an Instagram post to have been paid by the late Senator from South Carolina for “unspeakable things” done in a sexual encounter. She titled her post, “Eulogy for a Horny Hypocrite.”
In her post, Rose said she had a pre-transition sexual encounter in her college days with Graham and that her “financial security (and a lack of student loans)” is due in no small part to the “fat stack of cash” Graham had paid her.
The post, as of this writing, has garnered 212K likes and generated more than 600 comments.
International Business Times reported that the post has become “one of the most discussed online reactions following Graham’s death.”
Rose also took the opportunity to blame Graham’s alleged hypocrisy for damage done to the queer community. She wrote, “Lindsey, rest in hell for what you did to our community.”
Rose attended New York University, earning a degree in Music Theater and Child & Adolescent Mental Health Studies. She also holds a certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from Cornell University. She has amassed quite a resume since completing her education.
She was the youngest openly non-binary actor to take on the title role in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” She starred in the short film, “A Homecoming” and is a principal vocalist for a soon-to-be-released original cast recording of “ERNXST.” She also played the emcee in a production of Cabaret in addition to a sold-out run of her solo show, “Men I’ve Had,” at 54 Below.
Her activism regarding queer and especially transgender rights has been covered by Rolling Stone.
In 2003, she was appointed an ambassador for Planned Parenthood and has been a consultant for social media organizations regarding eating disorders.
She was also elected to the National Council for Actor’s Equity Union and is a member of their Committee to Prevent Harassment.
Her interest in mental health is personal. That becomes obvious in her recently (October 2025) released memoir, “Sorry I Keep Crying During Sex,” published by Harry N. Abrams, and which was met with rave reviews from publishing giants such as Publisher’s Weekly, the LA Review of Books, and Kirkus.
The book, according to Rose, “was born out of a year of intensive therapy. I developed PTSD after I was sexually assaulted and underwent EMDR [Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy].”
In the book, she recounts her own childhood sexual abuse and her later life as a sex worker. It was in this capacity that she allegedly “hooked up” with the late Senator.
One comment on Reddit discussing Rose’s post, said, “I imagine we’ll see many, many more stories like this in the coming days.”
While no other gay sex workers are known to have legitimately verified Rose’s story or made public their own, Washington has a long history of politicians who have made use of their services.
In his book, “Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington,” openly gay journalist James Kirchick wrote, “At least since the late nineteenth century, men seeking amorous connections with other men did so in Lafayette Square…”
Cruising Lafayette Square, as Rose, now in her 30s, tells it, has been replaced with the hookup app Sniffies. In an interview with Haley Jakobson at Books Are Magic, a New York bookstore, when asked about the Grindr chats in her book, Rose said, “The insider secret is none of it was Grindr. It was all Sniffies.” She has yet to reveal how she met Graham.
Rose has a combined following on her social media platforms of more than 650,000.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
