Should States Ban Drag Shows for Kids? – Opinion

Since years, the debate about sexualization has been ongoing. The debate began in the wake of parents discovering that K-12 schools were teaching far-leftist views on gender identity and sexuality. The conversation now centers on the children who attend shows that feature drag queens in suggestive, sexualized costumes.

Social media has seen several viral videos featuring footage of children handing money to performers in the same manner that a patron would pay an exotic dancer at a stripclub. These videos have sparked national outrage. Some states even announced that they plan to ban them. This is the wrong answer.

One of the most famous stories involving drag performers for children was from a Dallas nightclub. The footage shows male dancers dressed in drag strutting on the runway and dancing provocatively in front of a flashing neon sign that read “it’s not gonna lick itself.”

Children encouraged to give dollar bills to crossdressers during the “drag children to pride” event at a Texas gay bar.

This is the gr00m!ng [email protected] pic.twitter.com/g5PdcQB7QF

— Halaby (@_Halaby) June 7, 2022

Recently, Libs of TikTok posted a video showing a parent at a Houston Independent School District board meeting accusing one of his son’s teachers of taking him to a drag show without the father’s permission. He said his chemistry teacher, who also writes for an LGBTQ magazine, “recruited” his underaged son and took him to the show in which one of the performers was a convicted sex offender — convicted of sexual assault on an 8-year-old boy. This video also includes a secretly recorded video by the child.

Whoa. The parent who is @HoustonISDAt a meeting, it was alleged that an educator took his child to drag shows with a sexual offender. According to the school, nothing was done. pic.twitter.com/pCAWM6M1XE

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 10, 2022

Texas and Florida lawmakers are calling for bans on minor children participating in drag shows. However, some people have raised concerns about this proposal and claimed that it should be up to parents to choose the best place for their kids to go. In Dallas, drag shows were attended by children brought in by their parents.

In an interview with The Sun-SentinelTatiana Williams was the executive director at TransInclusive Group and took issue in a heated exchange with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis supports the ban. “Drag is here, and it has always been here as a part of our community,” she said.

She went on:

“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.”

People who support such a ban argue that there are already laws in place prohibiting parents and other adults from taking their children to bars or strip clubs. When I asked for opinions on Twitter, RedState’s Kira Davis made a poignant argument:

There’s no reason why not. Kids can’t sit at a bar and we’ve somehow avoided Armageddon. You can’t take a kid to a strip club. You can’t take a kid to smoke shop. The “I’m more reasonable than you OTHER conservatives” crowd needs to calm down.

Why not? We’ve avoided Armageddon by allowing kids to sit in bars. It’s illegal to take your child to the strip club. A child can’t go to a smokeshop. It’s time to put down the “I am more reasonable than other conservatives” group.

— Kira (@RealKiraDavis) June 11, 2022

Other people have pointed out that the use of the state to ban parents from taking their kids to drag shows poses risks. Bethany Mandel is a conservative commentator who also advocates for homeschooling.

Things I have been accused of child abuse over by the Left:  -Saying I don’t make my kids wear masks or socially distance, and that it’s okay with me for them to get COVID.  -Reading the Rush Limbaugh @HeroesOfLiberty to my children.  -Homeschooling  -Raising them religious

Things I have been accused of child abuse over by the Left: -Saying I don’t make my kids wear masks or socially distance, and that it’s okay with me for them to get COVID. Reading them Rush Limbaugh @HeroesOfLiberty book. Book.

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 10, 2022

Mandel continued in a subsequent tweet, recounting how she “had CPS threatened over” her supposed “abuse” and said she is “extremely not okay with the power of the state being used against parents/kids/families.”

While I lean towards supporting a ban, Mandel’s argument strikes me as the most compelling and the best reason to be apprehensive about such a move. The state has the power to punish parents in Canada and other countries for refusing to adhere to wokeism’s guidelines when raising children. Canadian parents have been jailed at least once for speaking out against transgender ideologies when their daughter chose to socially transform to become a man.

This type of statism would be welcomed in many parts of the United States. You can see how they push the leftist agenda in the schools, without any involvement from the parents. They could make their dream come true by passing laws that allow parents to take their children to school.

Still, Davis’ point is still apt – we already have laws prohibiting minors from going to certain events and venues. Far-left parties will likely not add another law to prevent them from doing the same thing they have already planned to do. They use the state’s power to require that parents follow a so-called progressive ideology about gender identity, among other things, when raising their children.

I wouldn’t support any federal legislation that would ban drag shows for kids. As with many other issues, it should be addressed at the level of each state. You can allow your children to see drag shows if you live in a state where it is allowed. The people are the best ones to make the final decision.