This US state will restrict drag shows. Hear drag performer’s reaction

Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law Thursday afternoon that will restrict public drag show performances in Tennessee, making his state the first to do so this year. Story VanNess, drag performer and assistant director of Knox Pride, joins CNN’s Victor Blackwell to discuss. #CNN #News

69 comments

    1. @Persuasive Barrier coked up? That’s a California thing😆 may I suggest you delete the kiddie diddle stuff of your phone and stop watching cuties on Netflix😂😂

    2. @Gambit Odsey okay, florida man. how loud you preach tends to be a confession on the right.

    3. @Persuasive Barrier I’m not in Florida 😆 I have been about 20yrs ago. The amount of women there is incredible. 20 to 1. In other words not the place for you. It’s women not lil kids😂

    4. @Gambit Odsey seemed a fine place for Epstein and Maxwell to hang out… at Trump’s resorts for years. Even operated out of them. Trump got a good deal, a great deal, for sure.

  1. I’m gay myself and I don’t believe this is what the government should be focusing on, but drag shows should only be in nightclubs and bars…

    1. It is a first amendment issue. I would like to hear from child development experts, not MAGAts.

    2. Thank you bro! I appreciate you saying that because our kids don’t need to go to strip clubs, drag shows, straight bars, gay bars, ect. These are our children our future. I love all people and don’t care who anyone lays their head next to at night

  2. Don’t worry, nobody’s stopping you from performing or being trans. You can wear your AirPods and jam out in public, just don’t get all kinked up and dance in front of children. I see nothing wrong with this bill and it’s not going to stop you from living your life. It’s about having children in sexually explicit venues.

    1. @turnne You’re asking me what is sexually explicit about a drag show? It’s men, sexually identifying as women, performing as if they were women, doing things that they think are sexy that women do. Am I missing something here?

    2. @Bill Jim The first casualty of politics as well as of war, is the truth. You seem to be a past master of that.

  3. You know society is crumbling when it takes a news segment to explain to people that adults shouldn’t display their sexual proclivities/fetish to children. Why is this so hard to understand?

    1. @Kevin Skiles No!!! How about no kids in bars or gay bars especially none on stage tipping and in front of obscene signs. Wtf is wrong with you people?

  4. Under no circumstances is it ok to bring kids to drag shows, strip clubs or any other adult entertainment

    1. @San Diego Traffic Lights & Trains
      The only people who let kids into strip clubs are democrats or Netflix producers.

    2. @Donny Paul Lol true! That’s exactly the kind of people the real assaults come from. Time and time again.

  5. If adults want to get off on watching drag queens, then fine, but performing in front of children is a step too far.

    1. @Donny Paul Not all priests are paedophiles. Also, comparing apples and oranges. That really has nothing to do with drag queens.

  6. Drag isn’t an “art form”. It is entertainment. All forms of entertainment are held in the appropriate setting for their type. Children are vulnerable, hence the movie rating system. Dress as you like, and you still can, but leave the kids out of it. They’re confused enough. That’s all the bill says.

    1. @J Bagger Jesus Christ do you know what mutually exclusive means? Something can be art and entertainment and also just be entertainment or art. Also – YES, figure skating, gymnastics, dancing, are all sports that also are art forms.

    2. @Davey Parks Also, the question of what art is, is a very difficult if not impossible thing to define, just as music is. In the end, it is only definable at an individual level.

    3. @MammaDuck it really isn’t that hard. It’s quite literally a performance… performance art…

  7. Anyone who thinks this outlaws people dressing as the opposite sex, you are being lied to. It doesn’t even outlaw dressing as the opposite sex and performing song and dance for children. It bans performing adult cabaret for children. That means performances that are designed to be sexual. It bans it in any form. That means it bans strippers too. Funny how you don’t see strippers mad about it though. It only dawned on one group that it was harmful to them that they wouldn’t be allowed to give performances, designed to be sexual, to children.

    1. Is this a big issue? Are people constantly doing sexually explicit performances in public over there?

    2. @Magical Frijoles “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient
      interest, or similar entertainers, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration”

      it’s that “similar entertainers” that opens up the door for including even non-prurient female impersonators. because it is similar. the language does not exempt non-prurient specifically. it doesn’t create protections for those performances for children. and i’m not fully up on legalese, so i don’t know what “performed for consideration” means, but the way they indicate that it will be disregarded for the purposes of the law, that feels like it says “even if you aren’t trying to give somebody a boner, if they get a boner you will be declared prurient.”

      then we also have to look at the banning of gender affirming care. as in, republicans hate the idea of trans athletes because of that extra mass gained in childhood, but wont let the children prevent that mass gain. that’s repugnant.

      and it’s not just trans athletes getting catch 22’d by this, it increases the rate of suicide.

      this will kill children. children will die. i will NEVER accept the self anointed title of “pro-life” from a republican, ever.

    3. @Michael Finnigan The law is stating entertainment designed the appeal to a prurient interest. It isn’t stating the person is prurient. So, no one can do it. Not strippers, drag queens, priests, etc. No one. Why are drag queens the only ones upset they can’t perform sexy dances for small children? Isn’t that odd that strippers aren’t protesting the fact they can’t dance sexy for 4th graders? Only drag queens. Huh.

  8. Being a woman of the theater I can tell you that being Mouse King in Nutcracker was the best acting and best character I ever danced.
    All the tutus, glitter, and tights were not as good.
    I made the prince look even better..

    1. ​@Pelle StorckNo, it won’t. That’s not what the law says. You are misinformed or participating in lies.

    2. Im told that there are grown men wearing tights and dancing in front of innocent children .. at Christmas time. (Of course I would never personally participate. ) It’s outrageous! Offensive! Future generations are being corrupted! Call cps! Someone needs to put a stop to try this !

  9. Where are all the parents, especially fathers. If my father knew this was happening when I was in school, someone would’ve been getting their you know what’s kicked. The parents involving their children in these shows, should be investigated by child protective service.

    1. Children were groomed by the sight of Wilma and Betty cross-dressing to get into the Water Buffalo Club . . .

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