NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A bill could make drag queens and some burlesque dancers criminals for performing in public.
Rebecca Seaver is known on stage as Truvy Trollop. Burlesque is her creative outlet.
"This is my happy place," Seaver said.
Now, Republican state lawmakers want to ban adult cabaret performances in public places.
"I would keep my nightclub act in the nightclub, and I have acts that are perfectly appropriate and beautiful for the celebration of femininity of womanhood, of performance art," Seaver said.
The bill would also ban drag shows where children may be present.
"It’s extremely hurtful," said Mac Huffington.
Huffington puts on pageants for male impersonators and divas, and she's also the first black Nashville Pride President.
"Of course, they can still perform at clubs and things like that if this passes," Huffington said, "But yeah, it would devastate our pride parade, our pride festivals."
According to State Senator Jack Johnson, there were inappropriate performances in public which sparked the bill. However, he did not elaborate on them specifically.
"It is illegal to take your child to a strip club, and yet we’re going to allow a drag show that has blatantly explicit sexual activity taking place in a public park where kids are present — no; we’re going to stop that," Johnson said.
Chris Sanders at the Tennessee Equality Project said it’s frustrating that the first few bills in this legislative season target the LGBTQI community.
"Merely dressing in the clothing of a different gender is not something that should be regulated ever. Not in our American tradition, not according to the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and not according to common sense," Chris Sanders said.
If drag kings and queens perform in public, they could be charged with a misdemeanor. The second offense is a felony.
"It’s not right," Sanders said. "It’s not our American tradition to stifle expression."
Seaver feels that the freedoms of speech and expression should be protected.
"The wording is very violent to trans people and it’s dangerous; it’s homophobic, and I think there’s a very slippery slope," Seaver said.
If it becomes law, it would go into effect on July 1.
