A sold-out Christmas drag show in Pensacola, Florida, is defying efforts by state officials to cancel it amid a backdrop of anti-LGBTQ+ laws and backlash. Despite legal and social challenges, the drag community continues to perform and organize, emphasizing the importance of drag as a form of community and expression, and resisting efforts to silence or ban their performances.
Tennessee's new law banning "adult cabaret" in front of children is expected to be ruled on by a federal judge this week. The law has sown fear and confusion among drag performers, who feel less safe pursuing their creative outlet in public. The law and others like it come as far-right activists have increasingly targeted drag shows across the country. The crackdown on drag performances belies the deep history of drag artistry in the South, which started long before it became a mainstay in the region’s biggest entertainment districts.
Actress Charlize Theron spoke out in support of drag queens at the 'Drag Isn't Dangerous' telethon, threatening to "f*** up" anyone who criticizes them. Theron, whose adopted son identifies as female, praised drag queens and suggested she would have it out with anybody going after them. The event aimed to combat the recent rash of laws seeking to prevent children from seeing drag performances, with Tennessee becoming the first state to explicitly ban drag shows in public spaces. Other states, including Kentucky, Texas, and Missouri, have introduced similar anti-drag bills.
"RuPaul's Drag Race" star Jinkx Monsoon spoke out against the recent wave of anti-drag legislation proposed in at least 16 states, which would restrict drag performances and unfairly target the LGBTQ+ community. Monsoon believes that these measures are a response to the fear of shifting gender norms in America. She advised LGBTQ+ people to move to areas where they can find their community and live their lives truthfully and unapologetically.
