Tennessee Bans Drag Shows From Public Areas Or Anywhere Minors Are Present
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law yesterday that bans “adult-orientated performances that are harmful to minors” from public property or anywhere minors might be present. Repeatedly violating this law would charge performers with a felony.
The new law redefines “adult cabaret entertainment” to include “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators, or similar entertainers.” The law is set to go into effect on July 1, 2023.
A spokesperson for Governor Lee stated the following regarding this law to The Daily Beast:
“The bill specifically protects children from obscene, sexualized entertainment, and any attempt to conflate this serious issue with lighthearted school traditions is dishonest and disrespectful to Tennessee families.”
Spokesperson for Governor Lee
Tennessee is the first state to pass a law of this kind, and for good reason. Over the past year, independent journalists like LibsofTikTok on Twitter have exposed numerous drag shows across the country where children are present in the audience.
For whatever reason, the topic of children being exposed to drag performances have become a partisan issue. But this Tennessee law should be a no-brainer. Our country already has obscenity laws that prohibit sexual acts or nudity in public. This law is designed specifically to protect children from being exposed to explicit content at a time where it is now a trend for “woke” parents to take their children to these performances. Such behavior is unacceptable, and this law is a necessary step towards protecting children.
