PHOENIX — Calling them portals to transgenderism and a form of grooming, state lawmakers are moving to outlaw “drag shows” in front of children and make felons of those who not only perform but also their parents who agree to let them attend.
But members of the House Judiciary Committee, who approved the measure Wednesday on a party-line vote, could not even agree on exactly what it is they are seeking to ban.
Rep. Michael Way, who crafted House Bill 2589, said it’s about protecting children from being exposed to nudity and certain sexual activities while performers are “dressed as the opposite sex.” And the Queen Creek Republican said “members of the drag community themselves say publicly that drag involves a lot of filth, sexual stuff and nudity, sex and drugs, whether it’s backstage, underground, or performance related.”
