Is it inherently sexual and frivolous when a man wears a dress, Rep. Nate Schatzline from Fort Worth, R-Fort Worth, asked jokingly, referring to a time when he wore a dress for a school theater project and other men were performing in bars.
At least, according to the law, businesses that classify drag hosts as sexually oriented places would face additional restrictions, licensing, and taxes.
House Bill 1266 was assigned to the House State Affairs Committee on Friday, just two days after a video of Schatzline emerged, in which he can be seen wearing a dress. The footage captures the lawmaker playfully engaging in activities with his classmates, all dressed in black attire.
Michelle Davis, a Democratic activist, tweeted out an old clip in which groups of Democrats pounced on the hypocrisy of regulating drag shows while wearing Schatzline dresses.
The first-year delegate ignored the insults and reprimands on social networking platforms in a reply to the video.
Schatzline mentioned in the video, “The progressive faction is criticizing me for a class assignment I completed during my teenage years, in which my friends challenged me to put on a gown.”
And on Twitter he stated, “That is not a sexually explicit drag performance.”
During this week, Schatzline was not able to respond to inquiries sent by The Texas Tribune. However, Schatzline’s legislation does not make a distinction between performances that involve explicit sexual content in drag shows and instances where a man wears a dress to entertain in a theater, bar, nightclub, or any other commercial establishment.
According to the legislation’s definition, Schatzline’s act would be considered a drag performance – where a dress is worn for the purpose of entertainment. All establishments that permit performers to wear attire or cosmetics that express a “gender identity different from the gender assigned to them at birth” would be encompassed by the proposed laws. The legislation aims to expand the scope of establishments classified as sexually oriented businesses. HB 1266, introduced by a few Texas Republicans, is one of four bills specifically targeting drag shows and Schatzline.
So far, lawmakers haven’t explained why they haven’t considered bills that define what types of makeup or clothing are considered exhibitive of someone’s gender appearance.
Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, stated in a text message, in response to inquiries sent by the Tribune, that there might be the introduction of a fresh dialect the following week.
The recent debate in Tennessee resembles one that happened recently, where Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law that bans adult cabaret performances on public property, defining shows that feature topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, and strippers, who provide entertainment that appeals to prurient interests or similar, as “restrictive shows.” Before this, a photo of Lee emerged online, showing him wearing a dress in a dismissive manner, which some found ridiculous and dismissed as hypocrisy.
Lawmakers are attempting to regulate performances and businesses that may trap a wide range of individuals, as stated by Johnathan Gooch, spokesperson for LGBTQ advocacy group, Texas Equality. He also mentioned that there are abundant drag performances that are not sexual in nature.
Gooch stated, “There is a whole bunch of things that don’t neatly fit into the definition of drag, but would fall under the purview of this bill.”
Critics say that proposals to stem drag legislators’ misrepresentation are argued to have wide-ranging impacts on businesses, both large and small, throughout the state, due to the additional taxes and licensing requirements that would be imposed or the events that would be required to be stopped between them. If the legislation is passed, it would have wide-ranging impacts on businesses, both large and small, throughout the state, from theaters and bookstores to coffee shops.
Three legislators who wrote comparable bills did not reply to the requests for comments from the Tribune.
Generation next aims to preserve the innocence and intends to pass legislation banning sexually explicit drag shows, as stated in a video posted on Twitter by Schatzline. Far-right protest groups, led by extremist factions, claim that these events recruit conservatives to join their cause under the guise of “protecting” these protests.
The drag queens did not respond to the comment and did not reach out to the Tribune. These events, where drag queens read children’s books at bookstores or libraries, often have performers who dress in drag and entertain with story hours. The broad legislation’s characterization would not apply to drag shows that do not have sexual elements.
Under this legislation, performances and events where children would be involved in inappropriate drag queens and other nonsexual activities would be prohibited. The law would require establishments that operate in sexually oriented businesses to be classified as such.
The bill, Senate Bill 1018, filed by Hughes, would impose an increase in taxes on customers, resulting in higher bills. Gooch mentioned that regardless of the content, certain establishments classified as sexually oriented would be required to pay an additional $5 per customer. This all-encompassing language in the bills would create significant burdens for small businesses.
If businesses create headaches, the definition of drag could be construed in many different ways, said Ike Hajinazarian, the spokesperson for Texas Democrats, adding that law becomes legislation.
“Can a theater stage a performance of ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’?” Hajinazarian inquired. “Or perhaps any variety of Shakespearean dramas, where females are attired as males or vice versa?”
Hajinazarian stated that Republican lawmakers are focusing on drag queens to provoke their base over what he characterizes as “non-issues.”
“Discussing performance,” Hajinazarian stated. “That is truly just sensationalized content.”.
You can find a complete list of them here. Financial supporters do not play a role in journalism at the Tribune. The organization is funded in part by donations from corporate sponsors, foundations, and members. Texas Equality: Disclosure has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization.