Tennessee to become first US state to ban drag!
Eureka O’Hara at Universal Studios Backlot 2022
(Getty Images For CTAOP)
Tennessee lawmakers have passed a bill (House Bill 9) banning drag shows in public, and have sent the measure to the Republican Governor Bill Lee’s desk.
House Bill 9 is headed to Governor Bill Lee, who has said he will decide whether to sign the bill once it reaches his desk. If he does, the measure will go into effect on April 1, two months ahead of Pride Month.
The bill bans “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to prurient interest,” meaning of a sexual nature, either in public or if a minor is present. The language is vague and makes no distinction between drag performers and transgender people.
Shows with topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, and strippers may also be classified as adult cabaret performances under the proposed law.
“By passing House Bill 9, the Tennessee legislature has done nothing but spread hate, misinformation, and extremism,” Human Rights Campaign legal director Sarah Warbelow said in a statement. “Drag is a longstanding, celebratory form of entertainment and a meaningful source of employment for many across the state. Yet, rather than focus on actual policy issues facing Tennesseans, politicians would rather spend their time and effort misconstruing age-appropriate performances at a library to pass as many anti-LGBTQ+ bills as they can.”
It should go without saying that drag, like any performance, can be tailored to be appropriate for any audience. Seeing drag performances can actually be beneficial to younger people who are queer because it shows them that they are not alone. More than half of queer individuals struggle with depression, and 45% of trans kids have considered suicide, according to the HRC. Those with at least one adult in their life who accepts them, however, are 40% less likely to attempt suicide.
In Tennessee’s bill, a first offense would be treated as a misdemeanor, but a second offense would be treated as a felony.
There are dozens of bills being pushed through state legislatures across the U.S. that would ban drag performances. Florida Governor Ron Desantis, for example, recently revoked an organization’s liquor license because it hosted a drag show.
