Controversial changes to drag shows near after TN House passes bill

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -Thursday morning, the Tennessee House passed a bill that would make it illegal to perform drag shows in public or have it shown to minors in Tennessee. HB0009 and SB0003 will now go back to the Senate to have an amendment approved before eventually going to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for a final signature.

Some like Nathan Higdon with Knox Pride felt the legislation unfairly targets drag performers, and should be deemed unconstitutional.

“It’s infringing on First Amendment rights and drag is a form of art and art should challenge you to ask difficult questions,” said Higdon.

While lawmakers like State Sen. Richard Briggs felt the legislation isn’t restrictive and rather outlines more specific areas in which drag is allowed.

“I don’t think we’re restricting it at all, we’re just saying where they can do it,” said Briggs.

Briggs said that lawmakers used similar language to draft the bill that has previously been used to define when and where “strip shows” can take place, as they aim to ensure children don’t see drag shows.

If the bill get’s final approval from the governor, it will mean that even if parents say it’s ok for their child under 18 to see a drag show, they won’t be allowed to.

“It’s sort of like how we do it at these X-rated movies. We don’t allow children to go in whether their parents approve or not,” said Briggs.

For Knox Pride, this means drastic changes will have to be made to their yearly festival which is also their largest fundraising event that draws in about a third of their total yearly funds.

“The parade is going to become a march now and the festival will become more of a protest,” said Higdon.

The first violation of this proposed law is a class A misdemeanor, but a repeat offender could face felony charges that can bring one to six years of time served in prison along with a fine up to $3,000.

If approved, the bill would become law in Tennessee on April 1.

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