Published: Just now
The state of Montana bans drag performers from reading to children in public schools and libraries.
The decision has received widespread criticism.
At the same time, several states are planning similar changes in the law.
Montana will become the first US state to ban people dressed in drag from reading to children in public schools and libraries, US media reports.
The law, which was part of a package of several changes affecting LGBTQ people, went into effect as soon as it was signed by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday.
The son tried to convince
Even when the package was proposed, Gianforte’s own son, who defines himself as non-binary with “she” and “them” as pronouns, tried to convince his father not to sign the laws, writes the Montana Free Press.
The governor chose to sign the law, which was supported by a majority of Republican state lawmakers, because he “believes it is highly inappropriate for young children, especially those in preschool and elementary school, to be exposed to sexualized content,” spokeswoman Kaitlin Price said in a statement. A statement, according to the news agency AP.
“Criminalizes”
Criticism has been extensive.
Drag artists have emphasized that events for children, such as reading stories in libraries, should not be confused with performances intended for adults, as these differ in design.
– White individuals with zero experience in the drag group have now defined what drag is by law, and I think I speak for our entire group when I say that it is hurtful, demeaning, and a misinterpretation, says local drag artist Anita Shadow to the Montana Free Press.
– One of the big issues is that there seems to be a total misconception that attraction in itself is sexual – this is not the case.
Jonathan Hamilt, CEO of Drag Story Hour, which organizes events at schools and libraries around the US, tells CNN:
– Montana’s new law criminalizes free speech and art and everyone should interpret it as a warning signal. For far too long, the moral panic surrounding drag has been made the scapegoat for transmisogyny and transphobia in this country.
More people want to ban
Several other states also appear to be planning to ban drag performers from reading events, AP writes. In both Florida and Tennessee, bills are ready, but in both cases it is required that the behavior be assessed as sexual, something that can become a question of interpretation and a legal issue.
That Montana pushed through the law is because the state’s legislation is unique – there is not the same requirement for a sexual element to introduce a ban, the news agency states.
In the past year, however, there have been a record number of bills that make it harder for drag artists and LGBTQ people, notes CNN.
In aforementioned Tennessee, public drag shows have been banned since March. And in Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who announced his 2024 presidential bid last night, has signed into law a law that gives the state the right to revoke permits for places that allow children at “adult events,” which has been interpreted as targeting drag events specifically .