Ben Baker bill takes aim at drag queen story hours

Did you hear about the drag queen story hour at the Newton County Library in Neosho?

Neither did I.

That's because there are no such events scheduled and there are not going to be any such events scheduled.

Two years ago, Rep. Ben Baker, R-Neosho, filed a bill that would have taken control of the library and other public libraries away from their elected directors and put it in the hands of review boards whose decisions on removing materials (or scheduling programs) would be final.

When I first read that bill, I assumed it was going to be a case of removing books that did not meet the approval of Baker and his friends and followers.

And perhaps that was a secondary consideration.

Turns out Baker's main deal was his fear of drag queen story hours.

In the two years since Baker filed his bill (which went nowhere), there have been no drag queen story hours in Baker's district or any neighboring district. 

No one has even broached the topic as far as I can tell.

But as they say, you can't keep a good man down, and for some reason Baker thinks that old saying applies to him.

On December 20, Baker pre-filed HB 494, which would outlaw such events, referred to as "adult cabaret performances' from taking place anywhere that children might be found. 

"Adult cabaret performance", a performance in a location other than an adult cabaret that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, or similar entertainers, regardless of whether performed for consideration;

While I personally have no problem with a go-go dancer story hour (and have a hard time remembering the last time anyone mentioned a go-go dancer) it is not that type of entertainment that Baker is targeting.

Apparently when he thinks of hairy men dressing as women, it invokes his "prurient interest." Whether he feels the same way about hairy women dressed as men is anyone's guess.

Baker has taken to Twitter to defend his bill.

Many“Drag queen”events that are inviting “all ages” are currently illegal in MO. HB 494 I filed today will extend the statutory definition of adult cabarets to include other locations as well. Like libraries, restaurants, bars etc. Promoting obscenity to minors is illegal.

And is a class E felony. The offense of sexual exploitation of a minor is a class B felony. If the minor is a child it is a class A felony. Just because you call it a “drag brunch” or “story hour” shouldn’t allow people to circumvent the law on obscene entertainment.

 I was unaware that men dressing as women and reading stories was illegal in Missouri. I don't understand the appeal of it, but how in the world is it obscene?

Now if these men dressed in drag happened to stand in front of a bunch to six to eight years and shake their rear ends suggestively, that's a different matter.

Perhaps that is what scares Ben Baker, but there is no reason for him to fear such an occurrence.

Last I looked, Missouri is not a right-to-twerk state.