This week, a federal judge will determine whether or not the law that prohibits cabaret shows and adult shows in front of children in the state of Tennessee is illegal.
If this law is implemented, all adult cabaret shows will be banned, including those of “male or female impersonators” (in English: “male or female impersonators”) on public properties where children can see them, The New newspaper reported. York Times.
Therefore, this law will prohibit the performances of drag queens or drag kings in public places.
Tennessee’s ban on adult cabaret performances in public places was passed in March. In that month, the governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee (of the Republican Party) sanctioned the law that was approved by the state Senate, according to information from the EFE news agency.
However, the law was stopped by a judge on the grounds that it was worded ambiguously.
Republican lawmakers argued that through drag performances, minors are exposed to sexual spectacles and images that are inappropriate for them.
Given this reasoning, organizations that defend the LGBTQI+ community in the country spoke out, as well as organizations that defend human rights.
The EFE news agency reviewed, for example, a statement from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in which they denounced that the “dangerous practice” of banning LGBTQI+ events, spaces and culture, including performances ” drag”, is part of “a large-scale attack” against the community, and is an attempt to put its members back in the closet.
Artists like the singer Lizzo (Grammy winner), in fact, invited a group of drag queens to their concert in Tennessee, as a protest against the law approved by the governor.
During a show held in April at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, the interpreter filled the stage where she was singing with several drag queens, including Aquaria, Kandy Muse, Asia O’Hara and Vanessa Vanji, according to a CBS article.
With information from the EFE Agency
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