drag shows

Lee says he won’t talk to AG Skrmetti about court decision but says he wants to know how it would be enforced

Late Friday, a federal judge overturned a new Tennessee law prohibiting drag performances in public spaces, ruling it unconstitutional.

The LGBTQ community and their advocates say they feel marginalized by a new budget approved by Daviess County Fiscal Court. Members gave final approval Thursday night to a $107 million spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The budget has drawn controversy because it eliminates county funding for Owensboro’s RiverPark Center, which has begun hosting 21 and up drag shows.

Senate Bill 3 has been called a drag ban, but drag isn’t mentioned anywhere in the law itself. As written, it prohibits “adult cabaret” and refers to drag performers as “male or female impersonators.” The restrictions were set to go into effect April 1.

A performing arts venue in Owensboro could lose county funding due to controversy surrounding some of its programming.

Tennessee’s strict limits on drag shows will not take effect Saturday after a federal judge issued a temporary injunction the night before. The decision sides with a theater company that claimed the law violates the First Amendment.

Threats of violence led the organizer of an all-ages drag show this weekend in eastern Kentucky to cancel. The goal was to raise funds for a clothing bank that would serve transgender youth.

After a floor debate spiked with references to foot fetishes and sadomasochistic bondage attire, the Kentucky Senate on Friday approved a bill aimed at limiting venues for some drag shows.

A drag show flyer, a lawsuit and a dramatic meeting at a city hall in Jackson, Tennessee, seem to be partially responsible for Tennessee’s drag show restrictions

Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill banning drag shows in public spaces, a measure that will likely force drag shows underground in Tennessee.