I regret to inform you that Texas is at it again. "It" being absurd and melodramatic culture-warmongering, of course. In this latest round, Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton is trying to ban minors from seeing drag queens, in response to a Dallas bar's "Drag the Kids to Pride" event, which it billed as "a family friendly drag show."
"Drag shows are no place for a child. I would never take my children to a drag show and I know Speaker Dade Phelan and my Republican colleagues wouldn't either," Slaton tweeted on Monday. "I will be filing legislation to address this issue."
A press release attached to Slaton's tweet says he was moved to act "following several news stories and videos over the weekend in which underage Texas children were subjected to inappropriate sexual content by adults."
"The events of the past weekend were horrifying and show a disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children," said Slaton.
But it sure seems like Slaton is the one who's gratuitously sexualizing things here.
While it's unclear exactly what "horrifying" events Slaton is responding to, many conservatives—including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–Ga.)—were recently outraged over reports of a drag show for kids that was held at a Dallas gay bar last weekend.
The event was swarmed with protesters, despite the fact that the performers were clothed and engaging in nonsexual dancing. Some kids in attendance tipped the drag performers with dollar bills, which—despite its association with strip clubs—is not in itself a sexual thing (we hand dollars to street performers, too, don't we?). The most risqué thing about the event was a neon sign on the bar's wall which said "it's not gonna lick itself"—a message that most certainly went over small children's heads and, in any event, is no worse than things older children might see on TV.
That might all be too torrid for a lot parents—which is fine! No one has to bring their kids to a Pride week drag show. But the idea that it should be illegal is also silly, and smacks more of anti-LGBTQ prejudice than anything else. After all, we don't see Slaton asking for kids to be banned from Hooters or other establishments with scantily clad staff and winks and nods to sexuality.
Another outrage this weekend concerned an image shared by the Babylon Bee's Seth Dillon, who described it as "a small child — perhaps 5 or 6 — stuffs money into the underwear of a nearly naked drag queen as parents look on, smiling."
The image was in actuality a woman performing at a burlesque brunch.
Again, some parents may still find this inappropriate. But it has nothing to do with drag queens.
Baked into all of this outrage is the idea that drag performances are always too racy for under-18-year-old eyes. But dressing in drag isn't an overtly sexual act and while drag shows often contain sexual humor and themes, this is far from a requirement. Drag performances and events can certainly be tailored toward children or all-ages audiences (including the drag queen story hours at libraries that so riled folks up a few years back).
Social conservatives may object to their children being exposed to cross-dressing in general, but this doesn't make drag inherently sexual and letting minors see drag performers doesn't necessarily mean exposing them to anything lewd or lascivious. Parents are perfectly free not to take their children to events with drag performers, but parents should also be free to do so, too.
"Drag shows are no place for a child. I would never take my children to a drag show and I know Speaker Dade Phelan and my Republican colleagues wouldn't either," Slaton tweeted on Monday. "I will be filing legislation to address this issue."
A press release attached to Slaton's tweet says he was moved to act "following several news stories and videos over the weekend in which underage Texas children were subjected to inappropriate sexual content by adults."
"The events of the past weekend were horrifying and show a disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children," said Slaton.
But it sure seems like Slaton is the one who's gratuitously sexualizing things here.
While it's unclear exactly what "horrifying" events Slaton is responding to, many conservatives—including U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–Ga.)—were recently outraged over reports of a drag show for kids that was held at a Dallas gay bar last weekend.
It should be illegal to take children into Drag Queen shows and strip clubs.
And there should be no federal funding for any school that intentionally confuses children about gender/sexuality.
Any teacher or school employee caught doing so should be fired and lose all benefits.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene???????? (@RepMTG) June 6, 2022
The event was swarmed with protesters, despite the fact that the performers were clothed and engaging in nonsexual dancing. Some kids in attendance tipped the drag performers with dollar bills, which—despite its association with strip clubs—is not in itself a sexual thing (we hand dollars to street performers, too, don't we?). The most risqué thing about the event was a neon sign on the bar's wall which said "it's not gonna lick itself"—a message that most certainly went over small children's heads and, in any event, is no worse than things older children might see on TV.
That might all be too torrid for a lot parents—which is fine! No one has to bring their kids to a Pride week drag show. But the idea that it should be illegal is also silly, and smacks more of anti-LGBTQ prejudice than anything else. After all, we don't see Slaton asking for kids to be banned from Hooters or other establishments with scantily clad staff and winks and nods to sexuality.
Another outrage this weekend concerned an image shared by the Babylon Bee's Seth Dillon, who described it as "a small child — perhaps 5 or 6 — stuffs money into the underwear of a nearly naked drag queen as parents look on, smiling."
The image was in actuality a woman performing at a burlesque brunch.
Again, some parents may still find this inappropriate. But it has nothing to do with drag queens.
A small child — perhaps 5 or 6 — stuffs money into the underwear of a nearly naked drag queen as parents look on, smiling. pic.twitter.com/oCcuABAGwz
— Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) June 6, 2022
Baked into all of this outrage is the idea that drag performances are always too racy for under-18-year-old eyes. But dressing in drag isn't an overtly sexual act and while drag shows often contain sexual humor and themes, this is far from a requirement. Drag performances and events can certainly be tailored toward children or all-ages audiences (including the drag queen story hours at libraries that so riled folks up a few years back).
Social conservatives may object to their children being exposed to cross-dressing in general, but this doesn't make drag inherently sexual and letting minors see drag performers doesn't necessarily mean exposing them to anything lewd or lascivious. Parents are perfectly free not to take their children to events with drag performers, but parents should also be free to do so, too.