The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill on Thursday that would prohibit the hosting of drag shows in public venues or anywhere minors might be present.
The bill, which passed 74-to-19, makes it illegal to host "an adult cabaret performance" where children may be present. Cabaret performances are defined as those featuring "topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, [and] male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest."
Under the bill, anyone who hosts or performs in a drag show in the presence of children would be charged with a class A misdemeanor, subject to a fine of up to $2,500 and up to one year in prison. Any further violations would be escalated to a class E felony and carry one-to-six years of prison time and fines up to $3,000.
On Thursday, the Tennessee House also passed HB1, which bans gender-reassignment surgery for minors. The bill specifically barred “hormone or puberty blockers” aimed at helping “gender dysphoric” youth.
The Nashville-based journalist Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire — whose investigative reporting in October 2022 revealed widespread abuses at Vanderbilt University’s transgender clinic, leading to a halt on all gender-reassignment surgeries for minors — applauded the decision.
“The Tennessee legislature has now passed the bill banning child mutilation in the state. We're fighting. We're winning. And we aren't even close to done,” Walsh tweeted.
“No matter what radicals say, I am proud to be a relentless defender of Tennessee kids,” Republican state senator Jack Johnson told a local Fox affiliate earlier this week.
“The passing of my bill in the Tennessee Senate is a huge accomplishment in the fight to keep our kids safe. As a dad, you can be certain I'll continue my fight to safeguard our Tennessee kids,” added Johnson, who introduced the Senate version of HB1.
Tennessee Equality Project, an organization dedicated to LGBTQ issues, condemned the legislation, arguing that it endangered youth.
“The House took life-saving healthcare options away from trans youth and their families and ignored the 1st Amendment by passing HB1 and HB9. Almost 300 organizations, congregations, businesses have spoken out against them. Governor Lee should veto them,” the group tweeted Thursday afternoon.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has promised to join the legal fight and challenge HB9 from being ratified as state law.
“We are deeply disturbed that state politicians have voted to interfere with the ability of families to make decisions, in consultation with medical professionals, to provide critical care for young people who are transgender. All Tennesseans should have access to the healthcare they need to survive and thrive. Gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth is safe, necessary, effective and often life-saving,” an ACLU staffer in Tennessee told a local news outlet.
Both bills are headed to the desk of Tennessee governor Bill Lee, who is expected to sign them into law.
At least 15 states have introduced legislation that prohibit drag shows in public venues. The bills were introduced in response to mounting concern about the prevalence of drag shows in restaurants and bars, and so-called “drag queen story hours” in which drag performers read to children in public libraries and other venues.
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