Texas drag performers no longer focus of proposed ban on sexually oriented performances

[Eugene]

Source: Austin American-Statesman

Texas drag performers no longer focus of proposed ban on sexually oriented performances

Ryan Autullo, Austin American-Statesman
Sat, May 27, 2023 at 2:40 PM EDT·4 min read

Texas House members advanced legislation that would prohibit sexually oriented performances in front of children, but, notably, it was Democrats who saw it as a victory after getting language removed from the bill that specifically targeted drag performers.

The revised Senate Bill 12, approved on second reading Friday in the House, now carries a broader definition of impermissible conduct, threatening with a criminal offense any representation, actual or simulated, of a sex act in the presence of a person under 18. A drag performance would no longer be illegal unless that performance includes a sex act.

The concession reflects a win for drag performers, who’ve flooded the Capitol this legislative session to protest anti-drag proposals and tell lawmakers that nothing they do is inherently sexual.

In laying out the retooled bill Friday, Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, said the initial version of the bill previously approved in the Senate included an “unnecessary reference to drag shows.” He said the Senate's version might not hold up in court, citing little clarity on what acts fall under the ban.

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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/texas-drag-performers-no-longer-184058532.html