The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) threatened to revoke a venue’s license Wednesday after it was reported it would host an ‘explicit’ drag show with children present.
The move comes shortly after an investigation was launched into The Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for hosting “A Drag Queen Christmas,” which was described as “sexually explicit” and “marketed to children,” according to a DBPR statement obtained by the DCNF.
“The Department is actively investigating this matter, including video footage and photographs from the event,” the DBPR said in a press release at the time. (RELATED: CDC Assessment Tells Teachers To ‘Commit To Change’ If They Are Not ‘Awesome Allies’)
Wednesday’s letter was sent to The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation, one of the venues that planned to host “A Drag Queen Christmas.”
“Sexually explicit drag show performance constitute public nuisances, lewd activity, and disorderly conduct when minors are in attendance,” the letter read. “Accordingly, Florida’s licensure laws provide strict penalties for licensees who allow minors to attend these drag shows at their licensed premises.”
BREAKING: DeSantis Administration warns Orlando venue about children at drag show tonight. pic.twitter.com/ZljZchUgVZ
— The Florida Standard (@theflstandard) December 28, 2022
“These penalties range up to and include revocation of the license pertaining to the licensed premises,” the statement continued.
The website for the Dec. 29 appearance of the show in The Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida, now requires that attendees must show proof they are older than 18 to enter the event, whereas the event was previously available to minors if an adult was present, according to its events page.
The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment by the time of publication.