The promotion of sexual content to minors is These are all concepts and ideas that are being taken from the dark sides of the internet.. Just a few weeks into 2023, legislators in other states have filed strikingly similar proposals to those in Tennessee and North Dakota. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) The North Dakota House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would make it a crime to perform drag shows and cabaret performances in the presence of children. And I think that there is a natural tendency in North Dakota to agree with this bill., Rep. Brandon Prichard, R-Bismarck, urges House members to vote yes on a bill that would restrict drag shows and cabaret performances, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023 in Bismarck, N.D. But this legislative session seems different, lawmakers and critics said. North Dakota has advanced a bill classifying drag shows as "adult-oriented businesses" and banning them from taking place on public property or anywhere people under age 18 are present. 1133, an anti-LGBTQ+ bill that restricts drag performances. The Senate Another Republican, Rep. Lori VanWinkle, called cabaret artists who perform for children perverts and said drag shows are a slippery slope to pedophilia. Drag is an art form dating back centuries and is a vital part of LGBTQ culture and history. The House voted 79-13 to advance the bill to the Senate when the chambers exchange passed legislation in March. Senators removed all references to specific types of restricted performers and recentered the bill around certain actions that cannot be displayed in front of children, including sexual conduct and the exposure of genitals, breasts or buttocks. | Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Paramount+. San Francisco was the first city to enact a cross-dressing ban in 1863, prohibiting people from going out in public in a dress not belonging to his or her sex. This led to a flurry of similar laws in other states and cities aimed at restricting gender expression. Jeremy Turley is a Bismarck-based reporter for Forum News Service, which provides news coverage to publications owned by Forum Communications Company. The guys showing up with guns to protest drag shows are white nationalists and their groups are the ones making it into a manufactured crisis. The North Dakota House of Representatives approved House Bill 1333 by a vote of 79-13 Thursday, and it now goes to the Senate, which will take it up in March. To learn more, please read our Privacy Policy. Lawmakers are taking aim at "lewd and lascivious content" that stems from any public dollars, facilties or state institutions. that would have barred transgender residents from using pronouns that align with their gender identity at schools and other publicly funded entities. New Yorks masquerade law made it illegal to have your face painted, discolored, covered, or concealed, or [be] otherwise disguised [while] in a road or public highway. These bills were intended to prohibit people from participating in illegal activities while disguised or in costume, and they often did not mention cross-dressing at all. Under the law, businesses that host drag shows where minors are present face up to a $10,000 fine per violation and loss of . Supporters, including House Representative Brandon Prichard say the bill will protect children. ", A pride-themed rainbow flag flies over the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock. But he plans to make to changes to the policy, which he believes will make it more palatable for fellow Republicans concerned about impacts on business. Bill backer Rep. Lori VanWinkle, R-Minot, referred on Thursday to cabaret performers who take the stage in front of children as perverts and said the bill would safeguard kids where society has failed. 254b, and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. The pieces of legislation introduced so far aim to do this in a number of ways. To my knowledge, I dont know that schools are doing this. Currently 19 states ban trans youth from participating in the sports aligned with their gender identity. Further, it prevents local ordinances from superseding this if it were to become state law. This health center is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. Other GOP-run statesincluding Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, and Oklahomaare considering similar drag bans. "To be honest, we expect these to sail through many legislatures. Were not trying to be anti-anybody, anti-trans, anti-anything, were just trying to protect our kids, said Bentley, who acknowledged at the hearing that schools expressed concerns that student performances might be targeted if costumes had exaggerated anatomical features or had certain types of singing and dancing. Williams also performs drag herself. The constant debate around anti-LGBTQ legislation and our right to simply exist in public spaces has increased negative health outcomes and safety concerns for queer people. series of bills Drag bans are just the latest in a surge of horrible legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ communities, including increasingly severe and dangerous bans on gender-affirming care. Drag, a mainstay in LGBTQ nightlife, is considered performance art that celebrates gender fluidity, self expression and self acceptance. This is not just one or two bad bills, Cody Schuler, advocacy manager for the ACLU of North Dakota, told the Washington Post. The GOP Wages a War on Drag. Human Rights Campaign Legal Director Sarah Warbelow released the following statement: These legislators are clearly failing to understand that a drag performance at a bar for adults is very different from a drag story hour for families in an age-appropriate environment meant to foster creative validation and acceptance. Many of these bills essentially allow private individuals to report a performance to be investigated oftentimes for violations of criminal law, Warbelow said in an interview. He said the state's obscenity laws should have prevented the performances, but his bill will state explicitly that the shows aren't allowed. that the bill suppresses North Dakotans' freedom of expression and discriminates against drag performers, who symbolize inclusivity in the LGBTQ community. The House voted 79-13 to advance the bill to the Senate when the chambers exchange passed legislation in March. Posted by 11 months ago. Three in ten ( 30.5% or 91,500 total) trans youth aged 13-17 live in states that have passed bans on gender affirming care. These legislators are clearly failing to understand that a drag performance at a bar for adults is very different from a drag story hour for families in an age-appropriate environment meant to foster creative validation and acceptance, HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow said in a press release. I would hope that we leave this up to parents, Boschee said. At least 21 states have enacted legislation or administrative policy attacking TNB people. The North Dakota House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would make it a crime to perform drag shows and cabaret performances in the presence of children or in public places.. The nation has seen a rash of attacks and threats against drag performances, especially drag queen story hours, in the past year. Other state proposals have language that defines a drag performer as one who "exhibits a gender identity that is different than the performer's gender assigned at birth." I would hope that we leave this up to parents, Boschee said. While state laws restricting gender-based dress also date back to at least the 1800s, 2023 has brought a resurgence of efforts to limit free speech and expression in the form of drag performances. Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device! Drag Entertainers Team up to READ the "Ban . in January after learning of Wendy Williams The Senate will need to approve the bill one more time before it goes to Gov. That's according to Michael Dutzer, the CEO and executive producer of Mad Angel Entertainment, which owns the pageant. LGBTQ advocates said at a hearing earlier this week that the bill discriminates against drag performers and suppresses North Dakotans freedom of expression. Republican state lawmakers want to shield children by closing the curtains on drag performances. We cannot let right and wrong be based on the subjective thoughts of our culture, (which) can apparently no longer differentiate what is moral behavior, VanWinkle said. The House vote marked the first victory for anti-LGBTQ+ forces in North Dakota this year. The event brought thousands of people who filled local hotels, visited local sites and bought from restaurants. North Dakota House approves bill that would ban drag shows in public, near children, Fargo Police identify officers and suspect involved in Friday shooting, Report: Family identifies bystander shot during Fargo deadly shooting, One dead, one in custody after police surround home in Big Pine Lake area, near Perham - July 17. While these new drag bans may seem narrowly focused on drag, it is important to understand both the historical context and current political context surrounding these bills. The MultiKey login service is an easy way to help prevent identity theft and fraud. It also prohibits medical professionals from providing gender-transition surgery to minors and creates a new rule for gender markers on birth certificates. ", Drag performer MD Hunter, whose stage name is Athena Sinclair, testifies before an Arkansas Senate panel as Sen. Gary Stubblefield listens on Jan. 19. Rep. Brandon Prichard, a Republican from Bismarck, said Thursday he proposed the bill after learning of drag shows performed in front of children, including at least once on the Capitol steps. LGBTQ+ advocates and allies had testified against it this week. The North Dakota House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would make it a crime to perform drag shows and cabaret performances in the presence of children or in public places. Moms for Liberty Outnumbered by LGBTQ+ Supporters Outside Youth Center, Republicans Use Defense Bill to Restrict Abortion, Gender-Affirming Care, Equalpride Announces Support of Kevin Aviances CVNTY Ball Tour, Ted Cruz Mocked For 'Barbie' Comments With Parody Doll Line, Texas Judge Refuses to Marry Same-Sex Couples, Cites Supreme Court Decision. Copyright 2023 KVLY. House Minority Leader Josh Boschee, a Democrat from Fargo who is openly gay, said the bill marginalizes certain people who live in North Dakota. hide caption. If you want to hitch your wagon to these groups that is on you. The event involves singing, dancing and lip-syncing, among other performances. It now goes to the Senate. 2. "It's very vague. Many would limit where drag shows can be held, recategorize them as akin to strip shows and ban the use of state funds (including those given to a nonprofit) to go toward them. Even so, in New York and in other states, masquerade laws were used to arrest queer and gender nonconforming people for simply existing in public. We dont let kids smoke, drink alcohol, go to strip clubs, or access sexually explicit material, and the Governor believes sexually explicit drag shows are no different. We see that you have javascript disabled. A Montana bill would prohibit state-funded schools and libraries from hosting drag performances during school hours or at school-sanctioned extracurricular activities. Will It Work? Laws that explicitly restrict drag shows have been passed in two states, Montana and Tennessee, though an additional four states Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota and Texas passed laws that . We see that you have javascript disabled. Many drag shows do not contain sexually explicit content, especially when performers who often wear more clothing are entertaining in spaces where children may be present. The high number of legislation occurred suddenly because the state's legislative branch only meets once every two years. But that wasn't before the local economy was impacted. Were going to be protecting children in the vast majority of cases.. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on health and COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. The Tennessee House's Criminal Justice Subcommittee recently heard testimony on a proposed bill that would categorize drag shows, or "male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest," as "adult cabaret performance."