Montana bans drag performers from reading to children in schools and libraries.

Montana has become the first state to ban drag performers from reading books to children at public schools and libraries, without requiring a sexual element to be present. The bill, which was co-sponsored by more than half of the Republican-controlled legislature, took immediate effect after Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it on Monday. The legislation is part of a host of bills aimed at the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Montana and other states, and has been criticized for limiting free speech and seeking to chill an effort that helps transgender youth know they are not alone.