Drag Is Not For Children

 

The war is heating up.  The Senate Committee on State Affairs passed two bills to restrict, and at times criminalize, drag performances in Texas.  People (including some of the drag queens themselves) across the state of Texas showed up to give testimony.  The bills will now head to the full Senate for more debate.

 

If passed, they would need to pass the House and be signed by the governor to become laws. Senate Bill 12 criminalizes performances by a man exhibiting as a woman, or vice versa, in front of a minor or in a public space if it “appeals to the prurient interest in sex.” Violators could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, a $4,000 fine or both. The bill would also let the state assess fines against businesses that allow minors to attend these “prurient” performances.

 

 

As drag shows have become more popular in mainstream popular culture, they have come under greater fire by conservatives who do not want children to be able to attend. Like most any form of entertainment, drag can be raunchy or PG, playful or political. Comedy, lip-syncing and dancing are common. Drag performers can be gay or straight, cisgender or transgender. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican who leads the Senate, prioritized Senate Bill 12 and three other bills that advocates say would negatively affect the LGBTQ community. The legislative session ends May 29.