The Tennessee Legislature has introduced legislation that will prevent children from attending “adult cabaret performances.”
Senate Bill 3 extends to all “adult cabaret performers,” such as “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, [and] male or female impersonators.”
If the bill becomes a law, these performances will not be allowed on public property or in the presence of minors.
Violators will face a Class A misdemeanor or a Class E felony for subsequent offenses, which carries a penalty of up to six years in prison and a $3,000 fine.
The bill follows similar legislation introduced a few days prior called Senate Bill 1 or the “Protecting Children from Gender Mutilation” act, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, the author of both Senate Bill 1 and 3, told The Daily Wire that Senate Bill 3 “is about protecting children.”
Explaining further, Johnson said, “It is dangerous to expose children to inappropriate, sexually suggestive drag shows. Early exposure to sexually explicit content can have harmful effects on children’s developing brains.”
Jenna Dunn, a drag performer and pro-trans advocate in Tennessee, claimed in a local news interview that drag performances are not aimed at sexualizing children but are “a performance for entertainment.”
Dunn said, “It’s no more than taking your child to the circus.” Furthermore, Dunn described the bill as “a direct act of hate.”
“I would like to go to our state legislators and speak to them directly. I want them to look me in the eye and tell me I don’t matter because that is what this bill says,” said another drag performer.
The controversial bill follows an investigation from conservative pundit Matt Walsh which reported that Vanderbilt University performed sex-altering surgeries on minors for profit rather than what was best for patients, as reported by The Dallas Express.
The investigation uncovered a video in which a doctor referred to mastectomies as “huge money makers.”
The investigation sparked a backlash against Vanderbilt, which agreed to pause and review surgical procedures. Before Senate Bills 1 and 3 were drafted, over 3,000 people flooded the Tennessee state capitol in opposition to sex-altering surgeries and allegedly sexualized performances.
Beyond Tennessee, Texas politicians, such as Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, are also reviewing whether drag performances should be allowed in the presence of minors and public spaces more broadly.
A “family-friendly” drag show in a Dallas gay bar, “Drag the Kids to Pride,” sparked a massive debate online. In the background of the drag show, a neon sign onstage read, “It’s not gonna lick itself,” as reported by The Dallas Express.
Hegar believes such events have no place within the state of Texas.
“Texas’ sexually oriented business laws have been significantly watered down by the courts over the last decade. The courts have even ruled that a thin layer of latex paint sprayed onto otherwise nude dancers constitutes clothing,” said Hegar. “This is exactly why Texas laws need to be updated and strengthened.”
