The bill has raised concerns that it could be used to target transgender people, but sponsors say that is not the intent. It threatens performers with a misdemeanor charge, or a felony if it’s a repeat offense. The bill then bans adult cabaret from public property or anywhere minors might be present. Instead, it changes the definition of adult cabaret in Tennessee’s law to mean “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors.” It also says “male or female impersonators” now fall under adult cabaret among topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers and strippers. The word “drag” does not appear in the Tennessee bill. At shows meant for adults, venues or performers generally warn beforehand about age-inappropriate content. Explicitly sexual and profane language is common in drag performances, but such content is avoided when children are the target audience. So it makes literally no sense for legislators, for people in government, to try to ban drag.”ĭrag does not typically involve nudity or stripping, which are more common in the separate art of burlesque. Drag is a legitimate artistic expression that brings people together, that entertains, that allows certain individuals to explore who they are and allows all of us to have a very nice time. “But it is also a place where people simply make a living. “It is a space where people explore their identities,” said La Fountain-Stokes, who has done drag himself. It makes no sense to be criminalizing or vilifying drag in 2023,” said Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes, a professor of culture and gender studies at the University of Michigan and author of “Translocas: The Politics of Puerto Rican Drag and Trans Performance.” That such spectacles are now being portrayed as a danger to children boggles the minds of people who study, perform and appreciate drag. Highly popular drag brunches bring revenue to restaurants. Television” himself, was appearing in drag on the public airwaves as early as the 1950s on “Texaco Star Theater.” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a bona fide cultural phenomenon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |