Do We Need to Have Laws to Ban Kids at Drag Shows?

 

The simple answer to the question in the title is “No!” If we are not mindful of the legal actions we are taking against Progressives, we are going to find our own rights even further restricted. Let me explain the background for this argument, and why we would be misguided if we try to pass another law to restrict the Progressive agenda. In response to a proposed ban on allowing kids to attend drag shows in Texas, Florida legislator Anthony Sabatini decided proposing the same kind of legislation in Florida was a good idea. It’s not.

There are several reasons not to codify a response to prevent our children from being exposed to these drag shows. First, trying to determine how to flesh out the law would be an impossible task: deciding what makes a drag show, determining what can be shown and what can’t be shown, enacting penalties on the show performers and sponsors, as well as parents—or making the laws so vague that they are useless—is a waste of time. To enact a law would also impinge on parental rights, which DeSantis has worked hard to protect, and makes no sense. (DeSantis has shown an interest in the proposed law, but I’m going to bet he will not back it.) Also, drag shows can’t be treated the same as regulations for schools, where children are required to attend and which are governed by state requirements for curriculum.

So do we let our kids be exposed to these abhorrent drag shows and do nothing? That’s not helpful, either. Instead, we need to take our citizenship seriously and be proactive about protecting our kids against these demonstrations. The ways to do so are numerous. We make the decision not to attend these activities, or activities that include demonstrations of drag queens. If our kids ask us why, we should tell them: that they are demonstrating behaviors that we consider unacceptable and immoral. We might show up for protests at the venues where these events take place. I think we can do so peacefully. We can pay attention to the programs at events so that our kids don’t attend events where drag shows were not publicized. If a drag show unexpectedly commences, leave. All of these decisions would demonstrate to our children that we have the courage to live our beliefs and convictions.

We must decide if we are prepared to take action against the ongoing incursion of the LGBTQ+ agenda. That community is determined to normalize their agenda:

‘Drag is here, and it has always been here as a part of our community,’ [Tatiana] Williams said. ‘Banning drag shows out of a misguided fear that some youth might find a sense of connection with the LGBTQ+ community would be an invasion of parents’ rights to raise their children and support them as their authentic selves. When we think of educating our youth about the world, about acceptance, and about LGBTQ+ people and history, these efforts to erase our visibility are never the answer.’

This year, Pride on the Block also featured Drag Story Time to promote reading for the younger participants. Drag Queen Story Hour, an organization that celebrates reading through the glamorous art of drag, said they were disappointed politicians were threatening programs like theirs.

There was a mass shooting threat, that moved Palm Beach County and LGBTQ+ to cancel this year’s Pride event, and they issued the following joint statement:

‘We live in a free society. Our strengths as a people come from the collective backgrounds, beliefs and lives of our diverse communities. We understand that there is increased rhetoric focused on limiting the freedoms of our citizenry, including an attack on the rights of parents to raise their children in a manner that is best for their families. We will continue to host our events and will provide a safe space for all open-minded, accepting individuals to enjoy the diversity of these freedom loving communities everywhere.’

The statement was signed by the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Compass LGBTQ+ Community Center, the Pride Business Alliance, Transpire Help, and Pride on the Block.

Another factor in supporting any program sponsored by an LGBTQ+ community is that you are not only supporting everything they stand for, but you are also backing the Transgender community in particular, which has already inflicted enough damage on our society.

We have our work cut out for us. Let’s take our role seriously and not believe that government is always the solution.

[photo by quino al at unsplash.com]

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  1. DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax)
    @DonG

    Bring back shame.

    • #1
  2. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    I think you are right. 

    We could use a mechanism to prevent libraries from hosting drag queen story hours though, and I’m not sure how people would go about it. 

    OK, actually, I am sure. But it’s not gonna be fun. 

    We need to have people go into the library and demand that the admin explain why they believe this is a necessary use of public funds, and we need to tell them that we are against exposing children to men dressed as women because this does not represent community standards at this time. 

    In short, we need to risk being called transphobic. 

    • #2
  3. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    It seems to me that when we had laws prohibiting many types of obscene and lewd images and behavior, we had little of such behavior.  We no longer have such laws, or they have been rendered unenforceable through court precedent, and we end up having a great deal of such behavior.

    Why do you think that the laws won’t work?

    Why do you think that it’s impossible to police such behavior?  There are many areas of the law in which we have to make judgment calls — everything from garden-variety negligence cases to issues relating to criminal searches and seizures, and many more.  Discrimination law too, for that matter.

    But, for some reason, people think that it’s impossible to police the boundaries of obscenity and, now, drag.  This doesn’t strike me as very difficult at all.

    • #3
  4. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    TBA (View Comment):

    I think you are right.

    We could use a mechanism to prevent libraries from hosting drag queen story hours though, and I’m not sure how people would go about it.

    OK, actually, I am sure. But it’s not gonna be fun.

    We need to have people go into the library and demand that the admin explain why they believe this is a necessary use of public funds, and we need to tell them that we are against exposing children to men dressed as women because this does not represent community standards at this time.

    In short, we need to risk being called transphobic.

    I like it, TBA! I also wonder if the library admin answers to someone else if they don’t take a person seriously. I think that these shows absolutely should not be held in libraries. And I guess I’m not transphobic –only trans-rejecting.

    • #4
  5. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    TBA (View Comment):
    We could use a mechanism to prevent libraries from hosting drag queen story hours though, and I’m not sure how people would go about it. 

    Pass a law.

    Sorry, Susan, but I’m fine with passing such laws. It’s time to get medieval on these perverts.

    • #5
  6. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    I also wonder if the library admin answers to someone else if they don’t take a person seriously.

    They answer to unelected library boards, I’d guess. And the only people allowed on those library boards are themselves pro-pervert.

    But to TBA’s point, yes, we probably do need to organize locally against these perverts. And I’m actually looking into what local groups might exist to accomplish this — or considering forming one myself.

    Next year youngest child will be graduated, and I’ll have plenty of time to be a troublemaker. ; )

    • #6
  7. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic … (View Comment):
    Next year youngest child will be graduated, and I’ll have plenty of time to be a troublemaker. ; )

    Makes me want to live in Wisconsin and join your forces! ;-)

    Wish I could support your wish for a law. Just don’t think it makes sense and will so difficult to enforce.

    • #7
  8. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Susan Quinn: To enact a law would also impinge on parental rights, which DeSantis has worked hard to protect, and makes no sense.

    Although we have plenty of child endangerment laws that would be said to impinge on parental rights.

    • #8
  9. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic … (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: To enact a law would also impinge on parental rights, which DeSantis has worked hard to protect, and makes no sense.

    Although we have plenty of child endangerment laws that would be said to impinge on parental rights.

    Very interesting point. Do you think this would qualify as “child endangerment”? 

    • #9
  10. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    This gets to the heart of the great debate in which David French and Sohrab Ahmari took up opposing views. Ahmari said that in some cases we should use legislation to yank the culture back rightward. David French famously noted that Drag Queen Story Hour was a blessing of liberty — which he will never live down. (Though maybe he was misheard and he was really saying that it’s a “blessing of libertines.)

    The problem is that changing hearts and minds one at a time (or one civil court case at a time) is no match for the Total State.

    • #10
  11. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic … (View Comment):
    Ahmari said that in some cases we should use legislation to yank the culture back rightward.

    If I’m not mistaken, I think our Founders believed that passing lots of laws was not helpful; if they didn’t say that, they should have. I think it can be as misguided as lots of Executive Actions. And David French is not only wrong, but he was foolish (if he said that). 

    • #11
  12. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    These men are heroes.

    And considered enemies of the Total State who must be charged with hate crimes.

    • #12
  13. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic … (View Comment):
    Ahmari said that in some cases we should use legislation to yank the culture back rightward.

    If I’m not mistaken, I think our Founders believed that passing lots of laws was not helpful; if they didn’t say that, they should have.

    I think given where we are as a culture, I think we do need legislation to keep the left/authoritarians on their heels.

    I think it can be as misguided as lots of Executive Actions. And David French is not only wrong, but he was foolish (if he said that).

    Oh he said that. And has been endlessly mocked for it since then.

    • #13
  14. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic … (View Comment):
    Ahmari said that in some cases we should use legislation to yank the culture back rightward.

    If I’m not mistaken, I think our Founders believed that passing lots of laws was not helpful; if they didn’t say that, they should have. I think it can be as misguided as lots of Executive Actions. And David French is not only wrong, but he was foolish (if he said that).

    Susan, I think that this is a serious misconception about our Founders.  It is the common view, it seems to me, so you’re not alone in this.

    The Founders generally left matters like this to the states.  The restrictions on government placed by the Founders were placed on the federal government.  The state governments retained broad government powers over all sorts of things, including things like obscenity.  There were state laws against such things — obscenity, sodomy, fornication, even blasphemy in some places.  Far from having religious freedom, some states had established churches.  Some did not.

    Some time in the mid-20th Century, people seem to have had a couple of ideas, which I find dubious:

    1. Restrictions on the powers of the federal government were applied to the states, while at about the same time
    2. The “commerce power” of the federal government was interpreted so broadly as to allow federal regulation of all sorts of areas that used to be under state control.

    The Founders also established a system of public support of education, and religious education was permitted until the mid-20th Century.  The federal government had little involvement with this, although some of the land grants reserved a portion of the land for the support of public schools.

    • #14
  15. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    This is the stuff parents willingly expose their kids to. But for some it is better to sexualize toddlers than be called a “phobe”

    • #15
  16. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Vance Richards (View Comment):

    This is the stuff parents willingly expose their kids to. But for some it is better to sexualize toddlers than be called a “phobe”

    But they assured me that it was a “family-friendly” event! : (

    • #16
  17. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    Susan, I think that this is a serious misconception about our Founders.  It is the common view, it seems to me, so you’re not alone in this.

    The Founders generally left matters like this to the states. 

    This would make more sense. Thanks for the correction. 

    • #17
  18. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    When I was younger, I used to love watching The Milton Berle Show.  He had this one segment where a beautiful “woman” would turn around, and it was Berle in a dress.  In The Rabbit of Seville, Elmer Fudd dresses in bride drag to “marry” Bugs, whereas Bugs carries him up a long series of stairs and drop him over a threshold – into the wedding cakre below.  Great stuff!

    But I do think we need laws governing what kids see when they’re in school.

    I mean, some parents can be groomers too, right?  Especially leftist parents . . .

    • #18
  19. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Stad (View Comment):

    When I was younger, I used to love watching The Milton Berle Show. He had this one segment where a beautiful “woman” would turn around, and it was Berle in a dress. In The Rabbit of Seville, Elmer Fudd dresses in bride drag to “marry” Bugs, whereas Bugs carries him up a long series of stairs and drop him over a threshold – into the wedding cakre below. Great stuff!

    But I do think we need laws governing what kids see when they’re in school.

    I mean, some parents can be groomers too, right? Especially leftist parents . . .

    Any thoughts about the drag shows?

    • #19
  20. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic … (View Comment):
    But they assured me that it was a “family-friendly” event! : (

    Yes, but a family friendly event to celebrate deviant sexual perversion will, by definition, be sexual. Kids need better parents. Ones that will act like grownups.

    • #20
  21. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Vance Richards (View Comment):
    Kids need better parents. Ones that will act like grownups.

    Those two little girls in the video don’t look all that happy. 

    • #21
  22. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    When I was younger, I used to love watching The Milton Berle Show. He had this one segment where a beautiful “woman” would turn around, and it was Berle in a dress. In The Rabbit of Seville, Elmer Fudd dresses in bride drag to “marry” Bugs, whereas Bugs carries him up a long series of stairs and drop him over a threshold – into the wedding cakre below. Great stuff!

    But I do think we need laws governing what kids see when they’re in school.

    I mean, some parents can be groomers too, right? Especially leftist parents . . .

    Any thoughts about the drag shows?

    Drag shows are primarily adult entertainment.  They’ve been around for ages.  Having a drag queen read a story to little children is wrong on so many levels, especially when they ask the kids if they want to drag too . . .

    • #22
  23. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Within our borders government should always be the solution of last resort.

    • #23
  24. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Rodin (View Comment):

    Within our borders government should always be the solution of last resort.

    Okay, so . . . beat them with sticks? Because . . . that’d work.

    • #24
  25. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic … (View Comment):

    Rodin (View Comment):

    Within our borders government should always be the solution of last resort.

    Okay, so . . . beat them with sticks? Because . . . that’d work.

    I think that Rodin’s proposition is a reason for doing nothing.  It is the easy thing to do.

    One might notice that the other side doesn’t follow this rule, so they use government to form the type of society that they want, and we don’t.  This doesn’t seem to have been working out very well for our side, at least if “our side” means people who would like to live in a society exhibiting traditional values.

    It is the Ahmari/French debate.

    Empirically, the claim that traditional values persist in the absence of legal enforcement doesn’t seem to be true.  There is quite a bit of inertia, so the effects seem small at first, then increase as the decades pass.

    Until you wake up in an America in which freaks and perverts are parading down main street, and if you don’t like it, you’re told that you’re the one with the problem.

    • #25
  26. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Drag does indeed have a long tradition in comedy. Charley’s Aunt, I was a Male War Bride, and Some Like it Hot spring to mind. But those are one-off farces, not a lifestyle.

    I have come to the conclusion though that drag is the gender-equivalent of black face. If appropriating race through burnt cork, exaggerated lips and nappy hair wigs is abhorrent then what’s the difference if a man dons garish eye shadow, high heels and a Dolly Parton wig?

    • #26
  27. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    The side that wants to win will always beat the side that just wants to be left alone.

    • #27
  28. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Start small.

    You can have pre-teen drag shows or you can have a liquor license, but you can’t have both.

    • #28
  29. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Percival (View Comment):

    Start small.

    You can have pre-teen drag shows or you can have a liquor license, but you can’t have both.

    How about “You can have kids at your drag shows or you can have your kneecaps, . . . “

    • #29
  30. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Percival (View Comment):

    Start small.

    You can have pre-teen drag shows or you can have a liquor license, but you can’t have both.

    That’s good, but what about taxpayer funded schools?

    • #30
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