Lizzo’s Protest Against Tennessee Law Banning ‘All-Ages’ Drag Performances
Lizzo, a Grammy award-winning artist and body positivity activist, held a show in Knoxville, Tennessee where she brought drag queens onto the stage to protest a state law restricting “adult cabaret performances” in venues open to minors.
Tennessee Banned All-Ages Drag in February, but then a Federal Judge Weighed in
In February, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed legislation prohibiting drag shows or anything that could be defined as “adult cabaret” from being performed around minors. The law, “creates an offense for a person who engages in an adult cabaret performance on public property or in a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.”
“First-time violators may be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to a year in jail. Any subsequent offenses will be classified as a Class E felony, carrying a maximum six-year prison sentence.”
The Hill
The law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge a day before it was set to be enacted after a Memphis “LGBTQ+ theater” filed a lawsuit against Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and the state of Tennessee.
“If Tennessee wishes to exercise its police power in restricting speech it considers obscene, it must do so within the constraints and framework of the United States Constitution,” U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker, who filed the preliminary injunction, said.
Federal law currently holds that what can be defined as obscenity “is not protected under First Amendment rights to free speech, and violations of federal obscenity laws are criminal offenses.” Additionally, federal law “strictly prohibits the distribution of obscene matter to minors. Any transfer or attempt to transfer such material to a minor under the age of 16, including over the Internet, is punishable under federal law.”
Prohibiting drag performers, exotic dancers, strippers, and other adult-oriented shows from taking place in front of children is not a new concept, and these performances are not protected federally by free speech. Given that the First Amendment argument will likely not hold up in court, Judge Parker argued in his preliminary injunction that the law is “likely both vague and overly broad.”
“All-ages” and “family-friendly” performances have been extensively covered by conservative journalists, revealing the most grotesque and disturbing content being presented to children under the guise of rainbows and inclusion. There is only one type of person who would feel outraged by a law prohibiting obscene performances in front of children.
Activists Compulsively Defend Drag
In a puff piece for drag queens, Politico captured “The Drag Brunch That Tennessee Wants to Ban, in 19 Photos.” The article is meant to show people how delusional the conservative right is, and why drag shows are ultimately harmless, even for children. “Offered alongside the dazzling drag performances and bubbling mimosas at Atomic Rose is a serving of Tennessee civics: How a bill becomes a law and how a federal judge can stop it, set to the tune of Céline Dion’s ‘That’s The Way It Is,'” the article begins.
Atomic Rose, the bar in which the “family-friendly” show took place, has pornographic paintings lining the walls, and “pride” symbolism in every corner. In one of the last featured images, a 6-year-old girl is photographed attempting to hand a dollar bill to a drag performer while sitting next to her younger brother and father. The paintings can be clearly seen in the background of the photo.
Many progressive activists have visited Tennessee insisting that the law is simply another glaring example of ” bigotry and transphobia.” Lizzo wasn’t the first artist to feature drag queens in her Tennessee performance, but she has been praised as a law-breaking civil rights icon since.
Country singer Kelsea Ballerini also included drag queens during her performance CMT awards in the immediate aftermath of the tragic shooting carried out by a transgender person at a Nashville Christian school.
By performing with drag queens, Lizzo and Ballerini are not only giving these men a platform to showcase their lifestyle but also sending a very clear message to their audience: their shows are only a “safe space” if you agree with their worldview.
Lizzo pretends to celebrate diversity and individuality by inspiring people to “embrace their true selves,” when in reality, she polarizes, divides, and propagates harmful narratives that destroy lives.
