Tennessee bill could criminalize some drag show performances
![Opponents of Jackson Pride pushed the event and the drag show away from a public park. However, in doing so, they were infringing on citizens' rights.](/https/www.tennessean.com/gcdn/presto/2022/10/28/PNAS/fd763807-480c-496e-9d19-dee1aee96ed9-982a5a54-44df-47c4-9fda-a714c664e77c_thumbnail.png?width=660&height=372&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
- Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, is sponsoring the bill.
- The proposal is among the first pieces of legislation filed for the upcoming 113th Tennessee General Assembly.
- The legislative session begins in January.
One of the first pieces of legislation filed for the upcoming 113th Tennessee General Assembly could criminalize some drag show performances.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, is sponsoring the legislation, SB03, which aims to block "adult cabaret performances" on public property or in a place where they could be viewed by a child.
The legislation defines adult cabaret to include performers like exotic dancers and "strippers," but it also includes "male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient," or inappropriately sexualized, interest.
If passed, the bill would make the first offense a misdemeanor. A second offense would be a Class E felony, which could carry between one to six years in prison.
Drag, a term originated in 19th century British theater that now has heavy roots in modern LGTBQ culture as a form of gender performance and entertainment, does not necessarily indicate a sexual performance.
But recent uproars in Tennessee over drag shows, or performances incorrectly perceived as drag, indicate some opponents view the performances as inherently inappropriate, regardless of their substance.
In Jackson, a September drag show that was billed as family friendly was originally planned in a city-owned park, but after conservative criticism and threats of legal action from local lawmakers, the event moved indoors and became restricted to those 18 and older.
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State Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County, and state Sen. Ed Jackson, R-Jackson, along with local religious leaders, were among those who began the fight against the drag show. Their efforts led to a closed-door meeting with Jackson Pride organizers, local church leaders and Jackson Mayor Scott Conger to seek a compromise, which was to move the event indoors.
This compromise was not enough, however, as one week later Todd, Jackson and members of First United Methodist Church went to court, seeking an injunction to block the show. The group used similar legal language as seen in Johnson's bill, referring to the show as an "adult cabaret."
More:Tennessee legislators try to halt Jackson Pride drag show, raising First Amendment concerns
Opinion:‘Footloose’ in Tennessee: Drag shows and churches can coexist | Plazas
An agreement was reached to allow the event to continue with age-restrictions in place, despite numerous protests on each side of the issue.
In Chattanooga, controversy swirled after a video of a Pride youth event went viral, where a small child touched the sequined dress of a performer on stage dressed as Ariel from The Little Mermaid. A number of residents called for the city council to ban all-age drag show performances before the Pride event organizer confirmed the performer wasn't even a drag performer but a woman who "does princess parties as part of her job," the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported.
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