Tennessee House Republicans passed a bill Thursday aimed at restricting drag show performances in the state.
The bill, expected to be passed by Gov. Bill Lee (R), would prohibit “adult-oriented” performances on public property and in front of children, The Tennessean reported.
The latest bill is one of more than 20 nationwide aimed at restricting drag performances, which have become a target among fear-mongering conservatives.
In a statement, Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said the new bill will protect children, a common refrain among conservatives.
“It gives confidence to parents that they can take their kids to a public or private show and will not be blindsided by a sexualized performance,” Johnson said.
Drag performances have been disrupted across the country by homophobic protestors, including from the far-right extremist gang Proud Boys.
Peppermint, a drag performer once featured on the show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” told Reuters that anti-drag bills are a way for anti-LGBTQ proponents to create a “boogie monster.”
“It’s a straw man, it’s a boogie monster, it’s not really a real thing, so they make up stories,” she told the publication. “The first thing they do is target us, dehumanize us, villainize us, and then they pass legislation against us.”
