Tennessee lawmakers need to sashay away

As Dolly Parton once said, “It’s a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I’d be a drag queen.” 

Many of the ways people express their creativity and passions can be found through painting, writing, music, and film. For others, they find their creative solace in makeup and theater. There are millions of other hobbies and activities that are consumed and enjoyed by people, and yet, there are no bans for writers, painters, and filmmakers. So, why has the state of Tennessee banned drag shows? 

In its essence, drag is a type of art form that refers to an entertainment style wearing stylized clothing. It is most commonly known as men wearing women's clothing cross-dressing, generally for the purpose of a performance. 

According to the New York Times, Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law on March 2, restricting public drag performances, and not too long after a similar bill was passed earlier this year preventing transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming health care such as hormone prescriptions or surgery. 

Tennessee is the first state to restrict public drag performances in 2023.

Parts of the Anti-Drag bill have described drag as a way to safeguard children, asserting that drag events can have sexualized language and suggestive performances that may be too extreme and mature for minors. Performances are also not allowed occurring within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, or places of worship. 

Similar bills have now been introduced in Texas, West Virginia, Nebraska, and South Carolina.     

The bill was met with backlash and vehement opposition from across the nation, with many activists and celebrities accusing conservatives of recklessly banning drag instead of addressing real and pressing issues, like gun control. 

This is not the first time that a law has prevented gender expression in public and private; these types of laws have been around in the U.S. for more than 100 years, with only one in New York just being appealed in 2021, according to NPR. 

“Drag shows aren’t killing children. If they are so riled up about protecting the youth, how about they turn their attention towards the thing that’s actually killing them: guns!” said sophomore Wren L.

Banning drag shows and reducing the number of safe spaces for those in the LGBTQ community is a step in the wrong direction, and poses a distraction from the real issues such as gun control and the housing, homeless, and healthcare crisis plaguing the country. 

Drag has been around in our nation’s history for more than a century, with the first drag ball taking place in Harlem, New York in the 1920s. Many drag performances have also been featured in iconic Broadway shows with characters such as Edna Turnblad from Hairspray, Lola from Kinky Boots, Hedwig from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and many others. It has also been a staple in pop culture, with hit tv shows such as Ru Paul’s Drag Race, a show many Gen Z’ers have bonded over. Ru Paul’s Drag Race is also hosted by one of the most recognized drag-queens, RuPaul Charles. 

“They’re worried that children exposed to drag shows will somehow ‘turn’ them into a queer person. Well guess what? I knew I was gay even before I was exposed to any drag shows or LGBT content,” said freshman Maelyn B. “It’s not something you can ‘turn’ into. You feel it deep within your soul.”