WATCH: Protests spark after Florida warns venues to disallow children at drag shows
Heather Hamilton
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Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s warning that “any and all actions available” would be taken against venues allowing minors to attend drag shows was met with support and opposition outside an Orlando event held on Wednesday.
In a letter sent earlier in the day, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Melanie Griffin told the Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation it could lose its license if it allowed minors to attend the Drag Fans “A Drag Queen Christmas” event.
“Sexually explicit drag show performances constitute public nuisances, lewd activity, and disorderly conduct when minors are in attendance,” Griffin’s letter read. “If you allow children to attend the Drag Fans drag show at your facility, you are putting your license in jeopardy.”
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Protesters gathered outside the event on Wednesday night to express concern over who could attend the drag show.
“Whatever they want to do, 18 and older, 21, whatever, that’s fine,” a man, who identified himself as Joe “White Shark,” told FOX35. “But they’re bringing children in.”
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“We’re out here today to show solidarity, to come together as a community to make sure that this stays a peaceful event, to make sure that the attendants are safe,” Kaity Danehy-Samitz, who came to represent Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida, also said.
Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani called Griffin’s letter an attempt to intimidate people from attending.
“This is a politically motivated letter sent by the DeSantis administration to basically intimidate and try to cancel drag shows,” Eskamani said. “This is not the first time, and it won’t be the last time.”
DeSantis promised on Tuesday to investigate the drag show events following complaints about a show held in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 26.
“The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) is aware of multiple complaints about a sexually explicit performance marketed to children held in Fort Lauderdale on December 26th,” DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin said in a statement. “The Department is actively investigating this matter, including video footage and photographs from the event. DPBR will, like in other cases, take action.”
“Exposing children to sexually explicit activity is a crime in Florida, and such action violates the Department’s licensing standards for operating a business and holding a liquor license,” Griffin added.
Griffin also noted that any evidence gathered would be forwarded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for “potential criminal liability.”
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Missouri minors were also recently barred from attending a drag show in a suburb outside St. Louis. Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation said the city has an ordinance that includes “protecting minors and not allow[ing] minors to be exposed to certain types of entertainment of a sexual orientation, etc.”