lewd conduct, or the lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts.”Ī spokesperson for the group Parents Defending Education, a conservative nonprofit based in Virginia whose mission is “working to reclaim our schools from activists imposing harmful agendas,” said the organization has not weighed in on the anti-drag laws, but said it is opposed to any drag-related performances or story hours in schools because it is a drain on educational resources. Alicia Devine/Associated Pressįlorida’s law blocks bars, restaurants, and government entities from authorizing or issuing a permit for any “adult live performance,” which it defines as a show that “depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or specific sexual activities. Hundreds of drag queens and allies marched to the Florida state Capitol in Tallahassee in April to oppose actions and rhetoric against their community from Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican state legislators. The Tennessee law puts drag in the “adult cabaret performances” category, which “appeals to a prurient interest.” It bans drag performances from occurring on public property, in addition to spaces within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, or places of worship.Ī federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against the law in April, siding with a group that filed a lawsuit claiming the statute violates the First Amendment. Two states - Florida and Tennessee - have passed laws that lump drag performers into the same category as exotic dancers and strippers, effectively banning minors from seeing drag. “Some people confuse the two, conflate the two, put the two in the same arena, which is not necessarily the case. “I think to some extent this is happening because exposure to drag is being seen as a gateway to trans,” said New York-based drag historian Joe E.

There is no hidden agenda.”Ī recurring complaint about drag queen story hours among detractors is that the queens are “grooming” children to be transgender or gay by reading them books while dressed in frocks, wigs, and makeup. “The only difference between us and librarians is that we are wearing makeup and some sparkly outfits. “I’m not about to walk into a library for drag story hour and perform the same way I would for adults,” said local drag queen Just JP, who said they have read to children at several local libraries. The animosity Massachusetts queens are experiencing is mild compared with what the drag community faces in states such as Florida and Tennessee. On Facebook, commenters weighed in with “No more Barking Crab for me,” “Boycott,” and “I’ll just make a point of not going there on their icky drag day.” But that’s just the tip of the false eyelash. The growing movement against drag even has a name: “drag panic,” and that panic showed up in social media posts about the “Little Mermaid”-themed drag show at the Barking Crab last week. The prevalence of anti-drag legislation has spread so rapidly that the American Civil Liberties Union set up a drag defense fund earlier this year. T here was a time in the not-so-distant past when there would be scant pushback over a quartet of drag queens lip-synching songs from “The Little Mermaid” at a Boston restaurant for a 21-plus audience.īut in 2023, drag queens have been yanked into political debates and targeted by conservative politicians across the country as a spate of new bills and laws seeks to restrict where they can perform.

Party panic rematch