Ill by no means need to search for the handle of the Chapel Tavern; the truth that its at 1099 S. Virginia St. is without end burned into my mind, because of the bar that was at that handle earlier than the Chapel got here to be.
The Ten99 membership spent 4 many years in that spot earlier than closing in 2011. It was a beloved homosexual barand was particularly often known as being a drag-friendly place, nicely earlier than drag brunches and RuPauls Drag Race introduced drag out of the darkish and into the sting of the mainstream.
Now theres a concerted effort to shove drag again into the darkishand that effort is succeeding. Quite a few states are ramping up their efforts to ban as a lot drag as they probably can & led by that alleged bastion of freedom, Florida.
A lot of the proponents of those drag bans sofa their arguments as defending kids. From what, I dont know. Bugs Bunny? Tootsie? Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger? Can anybody make the case that theres one thing, something, sexualized about Mrs. Doubtfire?
Ah, however some drag queens may be lewdand as somebody whos seen loads of lewd drag queens, I can affirm. However Ive additionally seen so much males dressed like males being lewd, and even some girls dressed like girls being lewd.
The reality is, these actions in opposition to drag don’t have anything to do with intercourse or being lewd. The Miami Herald experiences:
When the historic Plaza Stay theater in Orlando hosted an occasion final December referred to as A Drag Queen Christmas, the present drew a full home, noisy avenue demonstratorsand a small squad of undercover state brokers there to doc whether or not kids had been being uncovered to sights that ran afoul of Floridas decency regulation.
The Dec. 28 efficiency featured campy skits like Screwdolph the Purple-Nippled Man Deer and shimmying, bare-chested males who wouldnt have been misplaced at a Madonna live performance. Additionally a hip thrust or two, related to what’s generally indulged in by NFL gamers after a landing. All of it was dutifully recorded by the undercover brokers on state-issued iPhones.
However whereas the brokers took images of three minors on the Orlando drag presentwho seemed to be accompanied by adultsthey acknowledged that nothing indecent had occurred on stage, in response to an incident report obtained completely by the Miami Herald. &
Nonetheless, the states Division of Enterprise and Skilled Regulation proceeded to file a criticism in opposition to the nonprofit that runs Plaza Stay, claiming the venue had illegally uncovered kids to sexual content material. The criticism, issued Feb. 3, seeks to strip the small, nonprofit theater of its liquor licensea critical blow that will doubtless put it out of enterprise.
Its all a part of Gov. Ron DeSantis statewide crackdown on drag reveals, which may escalate additional as legislators draft new legal guidelines to tighten restrictions on venues that enable minors into these performances.
No, this effort has nothing to do with defending kidsregardless that Im certain lots of the terribly misguided individuals who confirmed as much as the Washoe County Fee assembly on Feb. 28 to talk out in opposition to Drag Queen Story Hour on the county libraries genuinely consider it does. As Mark Robison of the Reno Gazette-Journal reported: Many attendees doubtless obtained a mass electronic mail despatched to a self-described Nevada patriots group by Bruce Parks, Washoe County Republican Social gathering chairman. The e-mail urged individuals to carry their library playing cards, carry a small U.S. flag and request the top of drag queen library occasions.
This all occurred regardless that the County Fee has no direct oversight of the library. Despite the fact that taxpayers dont fund the Drag Queen Story Hour occasions. (The nonprofit Buddies of the Washoe County Library do.) Despite the fact that no Drag Queen Story Occasions are at present scheduled.
This occurred as a result of cynical politicians who’re glad to foment worry and hate are utilizing drag queenstogether with transgender people and LGBTQ+ individuals generallyas a wedge difficulty.
Drag queens have been part of Renos cloth for many years, and so they have by no means been a risk to youngsters. Combat the hate, of us.
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Originally posted 2023-04-05 20:24:20.