Tennessee Republicans Vote to Make Drag Shows Felonies
larger crackdown by conservatives amid moral outrage over events like "drag story hours" at public libraries and a series of highly publicized allegations of teachers and others exposing young children to sexualized content."This is a common-sense, child safety bill, and I appreciate your support," Republican Representative Chris Todd—one of the bill's sponsors—said ahead of the vote Thursday.LGBTQ advocates and others, however, have described the bills as unconstitutional restrictions on their freedom of speech and expression.
While courts have previously affirmed and supported laws intended to protect children from accessing obscene content or other "adult" content, some have argued that a law banning protected and unprotected expression could be seen as overbroad and, potentially, unconstitutional, according to the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University."This bill is an atrocity committed at all trans and gender nonconforming people as well as all drag artists," Erin Reed, an LGBTQ activist, wrote in a Twitter thread shortly after the bill's passage. "It bans 'male and female impersonators' from 'providing entertainment that appeals to prurient interest.'"A trans comedian getting on stage telling an off-color joke could be 'appealing to the prurient interest.' Trans comedians could be charged with a felony.
Transgender people and drag artists dancing in a pride parade could be considered criminal."Terrible news.The first drag ban has passed in Tennessee, and goes to the governors desk.It could easily ban pride.
It bans public drag. It bans transgender people performing, who are just living their lives.It charges them with a felony!It is blatantly unconstitutional.
