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Over chants of “trans rights are human rights,” House Republican lawmakers advanced a bill Tuesday making it a felony to take someone younger than 18 to a drag show, the first legislative proposal this year explicitly targeting the performances.
Critics fear the definition of “drag show” in the proposal, House Study Bill 158, would effectively bar transgender people from speaking in front of minors and ban certain theatrical performances, though lawmakers vowed to amend existing language as the bill moves forward.
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The prohibition applies whether the performer sings, lip-syncs, dances, reads or “performs for entertainment,” regardless of whether they receive payment.
Dozens of protesters standing outside the subcommittee meeting Tuesday afternoon watched a livestream of the discussion, chanting to drown out remarks from supporters of the bill and cheering after those opposed to the bill spoke. They chanted “drag is not a crime” for a few minutes after the meeting wrapped up but quickly dispersed.
Rep. Helena Hayes, R-New Sharon, said many lawmakers hear concerns from constituents about drag shows, and this bill addresses questions about whether some drag shows with “obscene material” and profanity are appropriate for young children.
She said the bill “will not be the way it is right now” as it advances and will be tweaked so there are not unintended consequences such as banning minors from art performances. Hayes and Rep. Heather Hora, R-Washington, signed off on pushing the bill to the full House Education Committee.
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A person over age 18 who knowingly brings a minor to a drag show would be guilty of a class “D” felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine between $1,025 and $10,245 under the legislation.
The bill would levy fines of $10,000 per child against any business that allows a minor to be present at or view a drag show hosted on its premises, and against any public entity or state agency receiving state funding that uses that money to host a drag show.
A parent or legal guardian of a minor who views a drag show could bring civil action of $10,000 to $50,000 for each violation.
“This bill creates a penalty that is so disproportionate as to be almost laughable,” Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, told the Register.
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LGBTQ advocates push back on broad definition of ‘drag show’
Lonika LaReese Knight, who last year became the reigning Miss Teen Capital City Pride and on Wednesday turns 18, said drag is an art form rooted in fashion, makeup and pop culture that does not inherently harm children.
LaReese Knight, who has performed in drag since age 11, said legendary musicians such as Queen, Prince and David Bowie are known for gender-bending performances, and modern pop icons including Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Lady Gaga inspire drag performers.
“This bill not only limits our constitutional right to freedom of speech, but also distracts from real issues affecting my home state and hometown of Marshalltown, such as homelessness, drug use, poverty and, more importantly, gun rights,” LaReese Knight said.
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A trans man, Mowitz questioned whether the bill’s broad language would outlaw minors from attending an event in which he speaks “simply because I live in drag as a different gender than the sex that I was assigned at birth.”
Mowitz said the bill seems to, for instance, outlaw showings of “Mrs. Doubtfire.” In the 1993 movie, the late Robin Williams plays a recently divorced man who devises a scheme to dress up as a British woman and get hired as a nanny to spend time with his children.
“First, what constitutes a performance? I’m a transgender person,” Mowitz said. “I was assigned female at birth, but I dress, live as a masculine person, so this bill targets me. This bill also defines performance as reading. Today, I’m reading testimony in front of a group of people from the perspective of a trans person, so the primary aspect is, in your words, drag. I give presentations and speeches in our community, and that would also be considered performing.”
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“Something that happens in these safe queer spaces that we create is that children that are otherwise awkward or afraid to come out of their shell, they get to be fully themselves and get the support of their community,” Martin said.
Proponents say the bill is about ‘protecting children’
Danny Carroll, with the conservative religious group The Family Leader, supported the bill and read a Bible verse where Jesus told his followers that it is better “to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.”
“This is not the Iowa that I knew when I came here in 1971, that we would be having such a discussion whether or not children should go to a drag show and be allowed inside,” Carroll said.
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He said there are certain things such as alcohol, cigarettes and pornography that are not appropriate for kids, and this bill applies a standard that exists for movies to “sexually themed performances,” including drag shows.
“This is not about banning drag shows for adults,” Bardwell said. “It’s not about stifling freedom of expression. It’s about keeping adult content where it belongs: With adults.”
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/18/iowa-house-bill-making-it-a-felony-to-take-minors-to-drag-shows-advances/78548508007/