More and more American states, often Republicans, are getting into battle order to ban drag shows on their territory in the name of protecting children. In recent months, at least 36 bills have been tabled in 15 different states.
A phenomenon that “sheds light on the political calculations of lawmakers, the escalation of this ideological war, and how the media (and social networks) are fueling outrage”, analyzes the British weekly The Economist.
Drag-queens and drag-kings are people who dress out of step with their gender, often extravagantly. “A long-standing presence in gay bars, drag has become more mainstream thanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race [une compétition de drag-queens qui connaît un immense succès télévisuel]”, note the economic title. People who practice drag are not to be confused with transgender people.
The drag scene was quickly targeted by conservative circles. They claim that she “is very sexualized and therefore not suitable for an audience of minors” and attempt to regulate the advertising of these shows.
Extreme measures
Texas, a Republican stronghold, seeks to “regulate venues that host drag shows that would become ‘sex businesses’, which would impose additional license fees and limit the organization of shows to certain venues”. And some states go even further:
“The most extreme proposals want to ban drag shows in public and especially for minors. In Missouri, North Dakota and Tennessee, exposing a minor to such a sight would be a felony, punishable by jail time.”
Pour The Economist, this offensive against the American drag scene is part of a broader context of politicization of LGBTQI identities which are becoming “the sticking point of ideological quarrels”. The American Civil Liberties Union (Aclu), an association whose goal is to defend individual liberties, has identified “296 anti-LGBTQI bills being considered in parliaments across the country”.