Bills Introduced in Tenn. to Ban Drag Shows, Gender-Affirming Care
One day after the 2022 midterm elections proved that Republcans' efforts to paint LGBTQ+ people as groomers and dangerous to children failed, Tennesee lawmakers doubled down on their anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment by introducing two bills targeting the community.State lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 1 and Senate Bill 3 on Wednesday.
SB 1 would prohibit doctors and families from making necessary life-saving healthcare decisions to support transgender youth.
Meanwhile, SB 3 would make performing drag in public where children can see it a crime.Tennessee Majority Leaders William Lamberth and Jack Johnson introduced HB and SB 1, called the Protecting Children from Gender Mutilation Act.Any medical intervention that alters a child's hormonal balance and any procedure that enables them to identify as a different gender than that assigned at birth would be illegal under this bill, and anyone who violates its enforcement would face a $25,000 fine.Under SB 3's broad language, it is illegal for an adult cabaret performer to perform on public property or in a place where minors can witness it.
Topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, and male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that "appeals to prurient (sexual) interests" during adult cabaret performances.First offenses would be treated as Class A misdemeanors and second offenses as Class E felonies, according to the bill.LGBTQ+ and civil rights organizations reacted to the news of the two bills with outrage."[SB 3] demonstrates a failure to understand the fact that drag performances have taken place for decades as a form of entertainment that varies widely between audiences," said Sarah Warbelow, Human Rights Campaign legal director, told The Advocate in a.
