Editorial: Is Tennessee trying to erase LGBTQ+ people?
By Shannon Taylor
New bills have passed through the Tennessee General Assembly targeting the LGBTQ+ community. One of the bills, SB 3, called the “anti-drag bill” makes performing drag in public where children can see it a crime. The bill SB1 prohibits doctors and families from making necessary lifesaving health care decisions to support transgender youth.
There is a Republican-led effort in Tennessee to limit drag, as well as more than 20 bills in legislation in at least 15 states recently to do the same. There is also an amendment of existing state law preventing “adult-oriented businesses” from operating within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks or places of worship.
The “drag bill” passed 74-to-19 and reads that it is illegal to host “an adult cabaret performance” where children may be present. Cabaret performances are defined as those featuring “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, [and] male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest.”
The reasoning for the bills was to respond to Republicans concern about “drag queen story hours” where drag performers read to children in public libraries and other venues.
A first offence would be a misdemeanor, and any subsequent offences a felony, carrying a sentence of between one and six years in prison.
The Tennessee Equality Project, an organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues have condemned the legislation and argued that it endangers youth. Both bills are expected to be signed into law by Governor Bill Lee.
What does the State of Tennessee think it’s doing with these bills? There are already laws in place that prohibit adult performances, so what is the need for this? It seems to me that it is just another way to dehumanize and villainize members of the LGBTQ+ community. They say it’s to “protect our children” but it seems like children have never been hurt by a drag queen reading them a book at a library.
A year ago, the Southern Baptist Convention released a 205-page report detailing names of more than 700 ministers committing sexual crimes against children. Where is the legislation to protect children from that? Where is the legislation protecting our children from the so-called “Christian leaders” in our churches across Tennessee? I don’t see any lists being released of names of drag queens harming children in such a way, yet numerous legislations are being signed into law acting like they are the villains here.
I don’t see anyone up in arms regarding the parents who take their kids to Hooters, wrestling matches or a Beyonce concert. I don’t see any legislation protecting our kids from school shootings, which most definitely poses a greater threat than drag queens could ever pose. What these bills do is promote hate. They target a specific group of people and they aren’t about protecting kids.
And what constitutes a “male or female impersonator who provide entertainment”? This leaves the door open for a whole slew of things. Would womanless beauty reviews be subject to this law? A Highschool yearbook from 1977 Franklin High School shows Lee himself dressed in drag with the title “Hard Luck Woman” on page 165. Would that be subject to this new law? And doesn’t it make Lee himself a bit of a hypocrite?
Since there are already laws in place against lewd performances of any kind in front of children, this current legislation is redundant except as a way to target, silence and villainize LGBTQ+ communities.
Do better Tennessee.
Opinions and letters published in The Weakley County Press are not necessarily the views of the Editor or Publisher.
