Friday, March 08, 2024

Restrictions on drag performances debated by Missouri House committee


By Annelise Hanshaw

For the second year in a row, a Missouri House committee debated GOP-backed legislation that would face the same limits on drag performances as govern “sexually oriented businesses.”

The bill, sponsored by Bethany Republican Rep. Mazzie Christensen, would also create penalties for engaging in an adult cabaret performance in a location where it could be “reasonably expected to be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” The first offense would be a misdemeanor and the second a felony.

(Photo- Autumn Equinox, a drag performer, tells Missouri House committee members that gender affirmation through drag has been lifesaving for her. The Special Committee on Public Policy debated restrictions on drag Wednesday afternoon- Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

The House’s Special Committee on Public Policy debated the topic Wednesday afternoon, with a handful of opponents of the legislation attending the hearing dressed in drag.








“The intent of the bill is to protect minors,” Christensen told committee members. “Exposing children to sexual content before they’re emotionally mature enough to understand is extremely harmful to their brain development.”

Opponents to the legislation argued that not all drag is sexual in nature, and the legislation would further marginalize LGBTQ Missourians.


Christensen’s bill matches a version written at the committee level last year combining legislation filed by her and Rep. Ben Baker, a Republican from Neosho. While it cleared committee, it never made it to the House floor.

The bill defines an “adult cabaret performance” as a show that “appeals to a prurient interest” and “features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers or male or female impersonators.”

Any business that offers an “adult cabaret” and makes over 30% of its revenue from sexually oriented material would be considered a “sexually oriented business.”

Sexually oriented businesses are restricted from operating between midnight and 6 a.m., selling alcohol or opening “one thousand feet of any preexisting primary or secondary school, house of worship, state-licensed day care facility, public library, public park, residence, or other sexually oriented business.”

Maxi Glamour, a drag performer based in St. Louis, said the zoning restrictions would prevent drag clubs from operating in the city of St. Louis. Glamour said people are moving out of the city as the state legislature enacts policies such as this.

“Jobs and progressive people are not seeing that they can be validated, appreciated and understood based on these draconian policies,” Glamour told the committee.

Lawmakers debated the bill’s language, some saying it was too “broad” and others telling attendees it would only impact sexually explicit performances.








“This legislation is aimed at folks that are wanting to conduct sexualized performances in the presence of children,” said Rep. Brad Hudson, a Cape Fair Republican.

Rep. Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City’s northland, said the language identifying “male or female impersonators” was particularly troubling and wondered whether restaurants like Twin Peaks or Hooters would fit the definition of a “sexually oriented business.”

Hudson disagreed. He said businesses must both feature the listed performers and “appeal to a prurient interest” to be restricted.

“If we were to craft this bill where there was no doubt that the only thing we were outlawing would be sexualized entertainment in the presence of young children, would (people) still be in opposition to this bill?” he asked.

Rep. Mark Sharp, a Kansas City Democrat, said at the top of the hearing that the committee “shouldn’t be hearing this bill.” He said he would be fine with his two-year-old seeing someone dressed in drag, but he said he wouldn’t want any prurient performances around his daughter.








“I think it was just to try to cover that one particular thing, I think this would be a lot of different, very different,” he said, referring to sexualized performances. “That’s not what the bill is. It does so much, so much more than that.”

Aune said it felt like an attack.

“If you just want to protect kids, why aren’t we just saying, ‘any performance by anyone that appeals to a prurient interest.’ Full stop,” she said.

The committee did not take action on the bill Wednesday.

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:53 AM

    Children are much safer being around drag queens than they are around priests and pastors.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous1:03 PM

    11:53 AM Oh, please share your insight with Benny Baker.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:05 PM

    Children are much safer being around librarians than they are around priests and pastors.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous1:32 PM

    Children are much safer being around teachers than they are around priests and pastors.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous1:59 PM

    The next thing on the rodentlican agenda to make the missionary position state law.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous3:33 PM

    Why Republicans are obsessed with pedophilia, gender identity, gay people, and abortion
    From Ron DeSantis to Josh Hawley to Greg Abbott, they're fixated on sex. Here's why.

    https://robertreich.substack.com/p/why-republicans-are-obsessed-with#details

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous6:08 AM

    While these self rightous losers debate drag shows, in the meantime, they're attempting to pass legislation to give even more rights to gun owners so your chances of dying by gun fire increases. Drag show legislation is nothing more than red meat to the deplorables and a way to distract to allow even looser gun laws. The Rodentlican majority is an abomination upon the land and to humanity.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous8:44 PM

    I always find it interesting 6:08 AM - that we keep blaming Guns - for everything - yet how are you going to stop a Criminal who Stole a Gun, Did Not go through the Process to get that Gun Legally - But who has broke into your house to Rob, Steal, and Do Harm to You and Your Family - Is this the Guns Fault or the Criminals - who use these Illegal Acquired Guns?

    We are not Getting Rid of Guns - GET THAT THROUGH YOUR STUPID INGNORNANT HEAD - they are here to stay - - The Reason you have a Country the USA is because we had Guns to Fight and Protect and Defeat our Enemies.

    How many people die from gun-related injuries in the U.S. each year?

    In 2021, the most recent year for which complete data is available, 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S., according to the CDC.

    What share of U.S. gun deaths are murders and what share are suicides?

    Though they tend to get less public attention than gun-related murders, suicides have long accounted for the majority of U.S. gun deaths. In 2021, 54% of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. were suicides (26,328), while 43% were murders (20,958), according to the CDC. The remaining gun deaths that year were accidental (549), involved law enforcement (537) or had undetermined circumstances (458).

    Over 54% Committed Suicide - 26,328 with Guns - -

    How many car deaths in the US in 2021?

    42,939 people
    A total of 42,939 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021.

    So as many people Died in Car Accidents as with Guns in the USA - - SHOULD WE OUTLAW CARS - -






    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:12 AM

      You're an absolute idiot 844. Your logic makes you appear as ignorant as you are boring, as evidenced by your perpetual use of lies, misinformation, alternative facts, and fear mongering to your like minded deplorable white trailer park trash. Your ignorance evidently doesn't allow you to compare the simple fact that there are no other counties on earth that are as gun violent as this country. New Zealand, for example, had a mass killing and responded by removing automatic weapons and now is one of the safest counties to live. Except for war torn countries, show us a country where gun violence is worse 844. I don't think you can, or will because you value your gun more than life which makes you a particularly vile and evil person.....an abomination to humanity.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous5:20 AM

      Conflating gun deaths to car accident deaths is like comparing dying by fentynol overdose to dying of old age. 844 is a fool.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous1:37 PM

    General rule of thumb: If Republican legislators are wailing and flailing and passing laws about something, it's a fair bet that many of their deplorable voting base, and frequently at least a few of the Repube lawmakers; ARE DOING EXACTLY what they are having a revival and speaking in tongues about. They are frequently getting busy doing exactly what they claim to need to protect their voters from.

    Examples: Ted Haggard, Jim Bakker, Dennis Hastert, Senator Larry 'wide stance' Craig, allegedly Rep Gym Jordan and the list goes on and on. Lots of Republican deplorables.

    Many many republicans, many many moral shortcomings and more than a few sex crimes. It's deplorable!

    Then you have the decades long Republican favorite, guns everywhere, guns for the crazies. Like this fat old fart in Texas that shot and killed his estranged wife on video after trespassing at her house and telling her she was going to meet Jesus. At least he got ten years and a pair of prison pants to cover up his huge gut and whatever was hanging out of his bathrobe on the fatal video! Can you say Trump's type of voter? Sure you can!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdDKHjtvd3U

    Don't get me started on their voting base. It's deplorable as well!


    ReplyDelete