Proposed Arkansas legislation could soon make it illegal for children to attend drag shows.
The new bill, SB 43, seeks to redefine drag shows as an “adult-oriented business” and as a result, disallow the attendance of anyone under the age of 18.
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State Senator Gary Stubblefield (R) and State Rep. Mary Bentley (R) sponsored the bill that was filed Monday.
“It’s destroying some of these kids’ innocence,” Stubblefield told KHBS, referencing the drag performances. “They’re no longer kids. They’re seeing things that they shouldn’t be seeing.”
Bentley noted that the proposed bill would set the same restrictions on drag performances that strip clubs currently have.
“It’s prohibiting any drag queen performance in front of where minors are present,” Bentley said.
The legislation defines a drag show as an event that includes a performer who “exhibits a gender identity that is different from the performer’s gender assigned at birth using clothing, makeup, or other accessories that are traditionally worn by members of and are meant to exaggerate the gender identity of the performer’s opposite sex.”
Opponents of the legislation called it “absurd,” adding that it will be difficult to regulate should the bill be passed.
“The audacity of this bill to try to say that we aren’t being appropriate in front of all audiences is absurd,” drag performer Patty Johnson, who goes by the stage name of Lady Kakes Monroe, said.
Megan Tullock, director of programs and advocacy for Northwest Arkansas Equality, suggested the bill could violate free speech rights.
“It sexualizes all drag performance,” Tullock stated. “Is it that, like, we don’t want people wearing low-cut shirts to read books to children? Or is this just about keeping any kind of queerness away from kids?”
Stubblefield said the bill was about protecting children.
“We don’t let our kids have tattoos, no matter where you’re at or who the parents are. You don’t let them go into a bar. You don’t let them go into a casino,” the state senator added. “I can list a number of things that we don’t let little kids do because we protect our kids.”
Stubblefield and Bentley said they anticipate the Republican-controlled Arkansas Legislature will pass the proposed bill.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) also recently warned that “any and all actions available” would be taken against venues allowing minors to attend drag shows.
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In December, Missouri minors were also barred from attending a drag show held in a suburb outside St. Louis.
