From TikTok To Jon Stewart The Backlash Against Anti-Drag Queen Legislation Is On
Drag is at the epicentre of a conservative maelstrom that is actively targeting the LGBTQIA+ community. More than 14 US states have introduced bills in 2023 alone that seek to ban drag shows for younger audiences; they’re predicated upon the belief that drag is intrinsically sexual or deviant.
The debate raging between the left and the right has encouraged many voices to speak out on behalf of their beliefs and TikTok has been a strong platform for those voices to be heard on. The videos made by creators range from both silly and sarcastic to educational and logical; regardless of tone the general consensus is that these bans don’t hold water.
MISPLACED FURY FROM THE RIGHT
Collections of videos on TikTok, Twitter and other social media platforms are drawing attention to the fact that statistically American children are at greater risk from gun violence, poverty, the failing medical system and poor education than they are from men wearing dresses for entertainment.
Some of the best TikTok take-downs have come from creators who have redirected the conservative fury over drag towards institutions a little closer to home. User @Kelsokru made a satirical video saying the Oklahoma drag ban in particular should also encompass bans against the Catholic church (historically not considered the safest institution for young children at all).
Kristen Browde of the Democratic LGBTQIA+ Caucus went on TikTok to point out the facts about those who’ve been arrested for having sex with children. “In the past week there have been 17 arrests and convictions of adults accused of having sex with children. Of those 17, 14 were pastors or youth pastors at Christian churches, one was the husband of a youth pastor, one was a police officer. None were drag queens.”
On a more direct and serious note, Jon Stewart interviewed Oklahoma State Senator Nathan Dahm and requested he make sense of endorsing gun ownership without registration but restricting drag shows for youth. After a heated debate over firearm restrictions, Stewart then asks the Senator what the leading cause of death for children is in the US; Stewart points out that it’s gun violence not drag shows.
“I’m not gonna say it like it’s an opinion. That’s what it is. It’s firearms. More than cancer, more than car accidents. And what you’re telling me is, you don’t mind infringing free speech to protect children from this amorphous thing that you think of, but when it comes to children that have died you don’t give a flying fuck to stop that because that should not be infringed. That is hypocrisy of the highest order,” says Stewart.
The arguments may have approached drag bans with different tones and shades of humour, but the essential arguments attempt the same outcome: to demonstrate the misplaced fury of the right and to reveal the smokescreen being used to target drag.
