Tennessee Senate passes legislation that would restrict drag shows

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The Tennessee Senate passed a bill Thursday that would restrict certain drag shows.
• It is the latest legislation state Republicans have passed targeting the LGBTQ community.
• The legislation classifies “male and female impersonators” as adult cabaret performers and bans “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors.” 

The Tennessee Senate passed a bill Thursday that would restrict where certain drag shows can take place. It is the latest legislation state GOP leaders have passed that takes aim at LGBTQ people.

The final vote was 26-6 in favor of the legislation, with only Democrats voting NO. It is slightly different from a version currently moving through the House chamber.

The words “drag show” are not explicitly stated under the Senate’s bill. The legislation used adult cabaret to include that such “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors,” as defined in Tennessee’s obscenity law.

The bill will ban adult cabaret from being held on public property or in a location where minors might be present.

“We don’t want to have the door open that they can go see advertent nudity and sexual acts or the depiction of sexual acts,” said Republican Sen. Becky Massey. “I’m sorry, that’s not what Tennessee is about.”

Drag has been cast in a false light by right-wing activists and politicians across the U.S., not just in Tennessee. They say drag is about the “sexualization” or “grooming” of children.

Drag refers to clothing more conventionally worn by the other sex, more particularly by gay men exaggeratedly wearing feminine clothing, makeup, and hair. It does not typically involve nudity or stripping. However, sexual and profane language is common in performances and routines, including raunchy stand-up comedy.

Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson refused to directly answer questions on how his bill would be enforced. The legislation would affect drag parties, performers who wear drag attire during pride events or grooms who wear kilts during a wedding ceremony.

The legislation now moves to the House, which is working on a slightly different version. It’s not clear whether the House will amend its legislation to align with the Senate.

Source: Yahoo News