TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill working its way through Florida’s state Capitol is part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ effort to crack down on drag shows.
He’s gone as far as calling them “dangerous” for younger audience members.
In iconic Miami Beach, pride festival events are already underway.
The two weeks of celebration goes back 15 years.
Some believe the tradition is under attack by conservative legislators in Tallahassee.
Orlando Gonzales, Executive Director of SAVE, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, spoke about a bill in the Florida House and Senate written by legislators who say it’s for the protection of children.
“This piece of legislation is another attempt to intimidate and censor our community,” Gonzales said.
The bill would allow the state to “fine, suspend, or revoke the license of any public lodging establishment or public food service establishment if the establishment admits a child to an adult live performance.”
Drag queens are not mentioned directly.
“Most of the bills that we see that are written that are attacks on the LGBT community are usually very broad and vague so that they provide an opportunity to be able to discriminate against us,” said Gonzales.
Should the bill pass, the law would go after “any show, exhibition, or other presentation in front of a live audience which…depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or specific sexual activities, or the lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts.”
The bill’s sponsor is Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican from Brevard County. He doesn’t shy away from talking about the bill’s intention.
“Adult entertainers should be performing for adults, not little children,” said Fine. “If you took your child to a strip club, you’d be arrested. The same should happen if you take your child to a club where you have men dressed like strippers.”
Advocates say not only is it anti-gay, it is also anti-business and goes against what conservatives preach when it comes to parental rights.
“Well in this situation, they’re not allowing parents to make choices about what to do,” said Gonzales.
Last month, the state threatened to suspend the liquor license of the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami because it hosted a drag show with children in attendance.
“The intentions are evil, the intentions are to make us go away,” said Gonzales. “The intentions are for us to go back to the 1950s where we were all in the closet.”