As the popularity of drag performances continues to rise across the United States, an increasing number of opponents are pushing back, calling for the ban of drag acts, especially those that are open to all ages, claiming that they are sexually explicit and can harm impressionable children. Tennessee recently became the first state to ban public drag performances, and bills that aim to ban drag performances in some form have been introduced in 14 U.S. states. Drag artists are feeling the impact of this growing backlash and fear for their safety and mental health as protests and threats continue to escalate.
One such artist, Daphne Rio, has been performing drag for eight years and has witnessed firsthand the aggression that opponents have toward her and her fellow performers. When images of Rio and her fellow performers were posted in a newsletter distributed by a right-wing group that organizes protests against drag shows in Texas, armed protesters showed up at Rio’s next performance, legal under the state’s lax gun laws. Counter protesters, some also carrying weapons, showed up to support the drag artists.
This culture war has also prompted fears that protests, along with mounting clamor in some conservative media outlets, could yet spill into violence. This fear is shared by many drag artists, who are concerned that they risk physical and mental damage if their shows continue and opponents are given free rein. In fact, activists say that attacks are on the rise, with rhetoric being a factor behind 141 incidents of protests or threats against drag events in 2022, according to GLAAD, an LGBTQ advocacy organization.
More than 375 bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans have been filed since the start of 2023, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Multiple bills concerning drag acts seek to include them under the definition of “sexually oriented businesses”. The rhetoric used by opponents has been a factor in the rise of these bills, with some lawmakers claiming that drag shows are harmful to minors, with one Republican stating that those who wanted children to attend drag shows were “supporting pedophiles.”
As drag performances continue to grow in popularity, it is clear that this culture war shows no signs of slowing down. Drag artists across the United States are now having to consider their safety and mental health as they continue to face harassment and attacks from opponents who see their performances as immoral and corruptive.