Tennessee governor signs bill banning drag shows

NASHVILLE, Tennessee. On Thursday, Tennessee lawmakers introduced a bill that would severely restrict the venues for certain drag shows, and soon after Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law. This makes Tennessee the first state to drastically limit speaking engagements.

Lee signed the law without a statement or public ceremony. The bill comes into force on July 1.

The bill marks the second major proposal targeting the LGBTQ community that Tennessee lawmakers have passed since their annual legislative session began in January. Last week, lawmakers approved a law banning most gender-affirming care services. Lee also signed the bill on Thursday.

No other state has acted as quickly as Tennessee to ensure that drag shows cannot be held in public or in the presence of children. And the move is in line with Tennessee being among the states that have passed the most anti-LGBTQ laws in the last few years.

Tennessee’s bill does not explicitly state the words “drag show”. Instead, the legislation changes Tennessee law’s definition of adult cabaret to mean “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors.” The bill also states that “male or female impersonators” are now subject to adult cabaret among topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers and strippers.

The proposal then bans adult cabaret in public places or anywhere where minors may be present. This threatens the perpetrators with a misdemeanor or felony charge if it is a repeat offence.

Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, who sponsored the GOP bill, said the bill would address “sexually suggestive drag shows” that are not suitable for children.

In Tennessee and across the country, drag queens are misrepresented by right-wing activists and politicians who complain about the “sexualization” or “grooming” of children.

Tennessee’s action follows the recent signing of a bill by the Governor of Arkansas to impose new restrictions on adult-oriented performances. This bill was originally intended for drag shows but was cut following complaints of discrimination against the LGBT community.

Dragging does not usually include nudity or stripping, which are more common in the individual art of burlesque. Overtly sexual and profanity is common in drag performances, but such language is usually toned down when children are present, or venues or performers warn parents in advance that they should reconsider whether to bring their children along.

“Drag and drop is a long-standing holiday form of entertainment and an important source of employment for many people in the state,” Human Rights Campaign’s legal director Sarah Warbelow said last week. “However, rather than focusing on the real political issues that Tennessees are facing, politicians would rather spend their time and effort misinterpreting age-appropriate speeches in the library in order to pass as many anti-LGBTQ+ bills as possible.”

On Monday, Lee was answering questions from reporters about the law and other anti-LGBTQ bills when an activist asked him if he remembered “dressing in clothes in 1977.” Lee was presented with a photo of the governor as a high school student in women’s clothing that was published in the 1977 Franklin High School Yearbook. The photo was first posted to Reddit over the weekend.

Lee said it was “ridiculous” to compare a photograph of him in women’s clothing to “sexual entertainment in front of children”. When asked about specific examples of inappropriate drag shows performed in front of children, Lee did not cite any, only pointing to a nearby school building.