A Texas law that took effect on September 1 may have had a dampening effect on drag shows in Dallas.
Local gay bar Mr. Misster, which previously held “kid-friendly” drag performances, hosted its Champaign Drag Brunch on Saturday. A noticeably small crowd turned out, marking a significant decline from the robust attendance observed by The Dallas Express at past performances.
Whether it was because the summer season had mostly wrapped up or would-be attendees were traveling for the holiday weekend, fewer than 15 people showed up for the performance. A drag show at Mr. Misster in early August had a packed house.
Megan Richards, 36, a Dallas resident and veterinary technician, was just as surprised as her two friends by the low attendance. Like the other guests that arrived, Richards was there for a birthday celebration.
While some, like Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler, consider drag shows to be misogynistic, attendees at Mr. Misster’s drag brunches have typically been women.
When asked if she had ever been to a drag brunch before and if she thought such shows were degrading to women, Richards laughed and said “no” to both questions.
“I’m just here to have a fun time with friends,” Richards told The Dallas Express. “If you look around, everyone here is female. It’s a way for girlfriends to get together on the weekend after a long week at work and to just goof off and have fun in a safe environment.”
Wendler had called drag shows “derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny, no matter the stated intent” in an email explaining why he shut down a drag show at his university earlier this year.
Like previous shows at Mr. Misster, drag performer Nicole O’Hara Munro led the performance with a mix of comedy and entertainment. The event showcased five performers, including Munro, Lady Phat Cat, Mulan, and Bleach. There was also a special appearance by Toni Andrews, a San Antonio-based drag performer.
In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 12, which restricts “certain sexually oriented performances on public property” or “in the presence of a child.” The new law went into effect on September 1, the day before Mr. Misster’s Saturday drag brunch. It fines businesses and event organizers that allow individuals under 18 to witness such performances.
Although Mr. Misster previously held “kid-friendly” drag shows, the bar has not seen any under-age attendees or protests since Gov. Abbott signed the bill at the start of summer. It is unclear whether interest in such shows is fizzling out or if businesses are just finding it less financially feasible to risk hosting such shows now that SB 12 is the law of the land.
Relatedly, Dallas-based restaurant chain BuzzBrews Kitchen recently announced that it had permanently closed its Lakewood location. All-ages drag shows were regular occurrences at the restaurant earlier this year. Such performances often attracted protesters who argued that drag shows should not be seen by children.
“I think it’s up to the parents to make that decision for the child, kind of just like anything else that influences children that may be adult,” BuzzBrews Inc. owner Ernest Belmore previously told The Dallas Express.
“We never advocated for being kid-friendly, we don’t advertise for kids, it’s not for kids, but we respect the rights of the parents, and we respect the rights of people. … It’s the parents’ prerogative to bring their kids if they want [and] we’re not going to deny that, [b]ecause it’s exposing those people and parents’ lives to a universe that they want to expose them to,” Belmore said.
Still, activists like Kelly Neidert of Protect Texas Kids, an organization that protests “kid-friendly” drag shows, do not think kids need to be anywhere near such performances.
“For somebody to be okay with kids attending, I think they’re okay with children being sexualized at that point and exposing children to extremely sexual content,” Neidert previously told The Dallas Express. “I truly don’t understand how anyone should be okay with that.”
