Montana legislators sent a bill to Gov. Greg Gianforte’s desk that would ban drag performers’ shows in state-funded public spaces where minors could be present, according to the amendment.
House Bill 359, known as “An Act Prohibiting Minors From Attending Sexually Oriented Shows,” prohibits minors “from attending sexually oriented [drag shows] or obscene performances on public property” and the exhibition of “sexually oriented performances in libraries or schools that receive public funding,” according to the amendment. The measure explicitly targets a national reading event known as Drag Story Hour, “an event hosted by a drag queen or drag king who reads children’s books and engages in other learning activities with minor children present.” (RELATED: Judge Rejects Transgender State Rep’s Bid To Return To Montana House)
Republican Rep. Braxton Mitchell, the bill’s sponsor, stated in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation that the legislation would ensure taxpayer money won’t be used to fund these events.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 20: A Drag Queen performs during a show at the Swan Dive nightclub on March 20, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“Kids should be going to school to learn math, learn how to read, learn their ABCs instead of being groomed by individuals trying to push this sick ideology onto them,” Mitchell said. “In Montana, we used to have 20 events per year in the most liberal areas in Montana, like Bozeman and Helena. Now, we are having one every weekend, and none of them have an age restriction. There are many photos of kids at these events, and most drag performers are in sexual attires.”
The State Legislature approved HB 359, which passed the House on Tuesday with 66-33 votes and the Senate 29-21, according to the Montana Legislature website. HB 359 was sent to enrolling on Wednesday, waiting for Gianforte’s signature.
If approved, the bill would make Montana the second state to ban drag performances in front of minors after Tennessee, added Mitchell. “Montana is leading the way on culture issues. We just passed the bill not allowing kids to mutilate themselves this past week and one defining what a male and female are. All Democrats opposed this last bill to ensure they had a free interpretation of the terms.”
“I think Montana and Tennessee are leading the charge on those issues. We’re saying we’re places for freedom and against this woke culture that’s being explicitly pushed into kids. But I’m glad we can join the growing number of states sponsoring these bills to prohibit these events from happening around kids,” concluded Mitchel.
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