Ohio Republicans recently introduced HB245, a bill that directly targets drag performers and their performances in public settings and threatens legal action for performances that are “harmful to juveniles and obscene.”
The bill prohibits “adult cabaret performances in locations other than adult cabarets,” and could feature performers like topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers and “performers or entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer's or entertainer's gender assigned at birth.” The latter is a direct reference to drag performers.
This bill essentially bans drag performers in any public forum and considers them dangerous for juvenile eyes to perceive. The punishment is a first-degree misdemeanor if juveniles are present, a fifth-degree felony if the performance is “obscene” and a fourth-degree felony if the performance is “obscene” and there is a juvenile present.
“Harmful to juveniles and obscene” are two keywords for this bill. The two exact definitions are defined in the Ohio Revised Code section 2907.01. Both keywords generally mean “quality of any material or performance describing or representing nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse.”
This kind of bill isn’t a new phenomenon and is being pushed alongside a cluster of new anti-drag bills throughout the country. All of this legislation further adds to the extensive hate that drag performers are facing in the media and in public.
There's been a trend of right-leaning politicians picking oppressed communities of people to target for political gain, and this time around they’ve shifted their focus to drag performers and transgender individuals. Creating legislation that specifically targets these groups of people creates an atmosphere of misinformation and hate. We can already see the consequences of this targeting on the home front with neo-Nazi groups in Ohio showing up to drag events.
They hold up a shield under the guise of criticism, claiming they are simply trying to protect children from sexually explicit performances. However, it’s important to note that most drag performances that allow children to be present are not sexually explicit at all. Their true intentions are to keep their children away from people who don’t fit into the heteronormative society many have tried desperately to maintain, which they deem harmful.
Allowing children to have a diverse view of the world is a good thing. If anything, it is necessary for developing minds. Limiting children's field of view just creates issues for them and the people around them as they grow into adults. An important part of growing up is learning how to respectfully navigate a variety of situations with a variety of different people. Limiting these experiences does more harm than good.
There has been a lot of misinformation and fear-mongering associated with drag performers and the performances they do. Many people are faced with political articles accusing all drag queens of sexual abuse and exposing sexual themes to children, so it makes sense that the average American takes things at face value and advocates for changes to help problems they genuinely think are harming children. However, these biased, hateful and targeted attacks create a false hysteria over a problem that didn’t exist in the first place.
It is easy to get lost in the narratives pushed by people with a political agenda. However, staying aware and informed on the realities of these performances and the importance of being inclusive is key to fostering more supportive and safe communities for everyone.
Haylee Leasure is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the opinions expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk about the column? Email Haylee at hl125421@ohio.edu.
