Drag shows were added to a classification of ‘adult-oriented performance’ which also includes bookstores, cabarets, live entertainment venues, theaters, escort agencies, and nude model studios designated for adults.  

(LifeSiteNews) — The governor of Arkansas has signed a bill to prohibit minors from attending drag shows and other events classified as an “adult-oriented performance.” 

On Friday, Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders enacted legislation which classifies drag shows as inappropriate for children, effectively barring them from attendance at highly sexualized events.  

SB 43 defines an “adult-oriented performance” as “a performance that is intended to appeal to the prurient interest and that features a person who appears in a state of nudity or is seminude; the purposeful exposure, whether complete or partial, of a specific anatomical area, prosthetic genitalia or breasts, or a specific sexual activity.” 

The new law prohibits these performances, including drag shows, from “tak[ing] place on public property” and “admit[ting] any minor for attendance.” They are also not permitted to “be funded in whole or in part with public funds.” 

Drag shows were added to a classification of “adult-oriented performance” which also includes bookstores, cabarets, live entertainment venues, theaters, escort agencies, and nude model studios designated for adults.  

The bill was originally passed by the state Senate on January 24, despite opposition from all six Democrat lawmakers voting on the motion. Following passage in this chamber, the bill was also approved by the Republican-led House and then signed by the governor. 

As exposing children to sexually explicit entertainment in the form of cross-dressing men singing and dancing provocatively has become more common, conservative leaders have introduced and passed legislation to protect minors from such exposure. Content from Life Site News