A Drag Queen Christmas is returning for a nationwide tour in November, but unlike last year, children will not be allowed to attend.
While last year’s tour was marketed as all-ages, despite repeated sexual references and simulations, the 2023 tour will require attendees to be 18 or older and have a valid ID on hand, reported the Texas Scorecard.
A Drag Queen Christmas currently lists 38 different stops on its tour in the United States, including five shows that will be held in Texas. San Antonio, El Paso, Amarillo, Irving, and Austin will each be hosting stops.
A new Texas law meant to prevent children from being exposed to “sexually oriented performances” is set to take effect September 1, prompting some businesses and venues that previously allowed minors to watch the performances to make adjustments, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
One of the performances at A Drag Queen Christmas show last year in Austin featured a male performer named “Screwdolph the Red-nippled Reindeer.” The performance reportedly contained simulated sex and other highly suggestive behavior, according to Texas Scorecard. The event prompted a backlash.
Protesters on both sides of the issue took to the streets prior to a performance in San Antonio last year.
“What they’re doing with another adult in their bedroom is their business. But whenever you bring underage kids into this it becomes our business. And we’re going to stand against it and put a stop to it in Texas,” said Brandon Burkhart, president of This is Texas Freedom Force (TITFF), speaking with the Texas Scorecard back in December 2022.
The controversy over drag shows and children has seen flashpoints in other states too. Following a show in Orlando, Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis rescinded the liquor license of the venue where the event was held.
An administrative complaint filed by the DeSantis administration claimed the venue “promoted the Show using targeted, Christmas-themed promotional materials that did not provide notice as to the sexually explicit nature of the Show’s performances or other content.”
The complaint added that the show’s audience had “children appearing to be less than 6 years of age” and that there were allegedly multiple segments of the show “where performers engaged in acts of sexual conduct, simulated sexual activity, and lewd, vulgar, and indecent displays.”
Still, not everyone agrees that drag shows are inherently inappropriate for minors.
“We’re just trying to give a safe haven for kids [who] feel that they’re gonna grow up gay, or feel like they are gay, or feel like they’re trans,” local drag performer Emeka Bless previously told The Dallas Express.
“It’s not all about what you see in the media. We’re not after your kids or anything like that. We’re just here to support everybody,” the drag performer said.
