'Drag is not a crime': Hundreds attend Drag4Drag rally to protest anti-drag legislation

The sounds of handheld fans clacking and the chants of "Drag is not a crime" filled the air Tuesday evening in downtown Palm Springs as hundreds gathered to protest anti-drag and anti-transgender legislation in the country.

The Drag4Drag rally, whose sponsors included Desert Stonewall Democrats and the ACLU's desert chapter, took place at the Forever Marilyn statue. Supporters donned their best drag looks with all the wigs, sequins and feather boas one could want. They also carried colorful fans and signs that read "Drag is art," "Love live the queens," "We're all born naked, the rest is drag" and "These boots are made for drag."

Throughout the hourlong rally, local drag queens, city officials and other community members took the stage to share their personal stories of why drag matters to them and to speak against recent legislation targeting drag shows. Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner and councilmembers Jeffrey Bernstein and Ron deHarte proclaimed April 18 as Drag Celebration Day in the city. Additionally, deHarte, president of Greater Palm Springs Pride, declared Palm Springs as a Drag Sanctuary City and announced that the theme of 2023 Palm Springs Pride would be "Drag Now, Drag Forever."

Lawmakers in a number of U.S. states have proposed legislation that would severely infringe upon LGBTQ+ rights. Most recently, Tennessee became the first state to ban drag shows in public spaces. As written, the law would have not outright banned drag performances in the state, but it does deem "male and female impersonators" as adult cabaret performers. It also bans "adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors" from taking place on public property and in the presence of minors under 18. The law was set to take effect April 1, but a federal judge in Tennessee issued a temporary restraining order on the law.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee also signed into law a total ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender children in March, which takes effect on July 1. The American Civil Liberties Union plans to sue over the bill.

Other anti-drag bills have been introduced in at least 14 other states, including Arizona, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

Despite discussing difficult subject matter, many of the speakers Tuesday threw in bits of humor to lighten the mood and give people hope. Local drag queen Bella da Ball, who served as master of ceremonies, asked, "With all the disasters and tragedies and violence in the country and the world, why is the drag community and the LGBTQ+ community being targeted? Just because we provide entertainment, art, fun, camaraderie, not to mention fashion, glitz, glamour, sparkle? Are they jealous of these legs?"

Drag performer Vanity Halston, addressing accusations that have been made against drag queens as "grooming" children, said, "They call us groomers, and I can say one thing for sure: Most of these girls take hours to groom themselves. It's not possible," which was met with laughter from the audience.

A highlight for many during the evening was an appearance by Bijou, the stage name for Coachella Valley resident William Perez, who was at the Stonewall riots in 1969 in New York City, which served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States. Wearing a blue and green dress with gold gloves and a blonde, curly wig, Bijou briefly addressed the crowd before another person read a letter written by the valley resident.

"I'm glad I have an opportunity to speak, but now it's your turn to speak on my behalf. I have no regrets looking back, but I would definitely not want you to go back to Stonewall 1969 where I fought back," the letter read. Bijou added that it got "pretty rough" during the riots.

Coachella Valley-based performer Sabryna Williams also shared her experience of being at the receiving end of threats and hateful comments last year after a video of a child dancing with the performer during a show was posted online. The video was later shared by right-leaning and conservative social media accounts and media outlets, with many commenting that the actions in the video were deemed as "child abuse" or "grooming."

Williams said she received 436 death threats, had to change her phone number and home address and had police escorts. "It was an intense situation for me," she said, "and in my 23 years of drag, I have never in my life experienced something like that."

She encouraged the crowd to vote in order to protect people's rights and to love each other. Williams also had a message for lawmakers targeting drag shows: "I will rhinestone every handcuff you put on me, I will print and proudly display every single one of my mugshots and I will fringe the hell out of every orange jumpsuit that you put me in until this nation wakes up and realizes that we are here, we are queer and we aren't going anywhere."

Rally attendees shared similar sentiment. Palm Springs residents Robert Burgin, wearing a blue dress and bonnet, Keith Mottola, wearing a two-piece gladiator outfit with gold glitter around his eyes, showed up to support the drag community. Burgin said there are plenty of straight performers who do drag, like celebrity impersonators in Las Vegas, and Mottola pointed out many beloved movies, such as "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Tootsie," feature male actors dressing as women.

"Will those be banned too?" Mottola questioned. "Where does it stop? With everything going on in the country, you have nothing better to do?"

Burgin added he enjoys doing drag because it allows him to be the "b---- I never am." For others, it's a means of income, he noted, and if drag shows are banned in certain places and states, it could severely harm those who depend on it to make ends meet.

Indo resident Deb Mornin, who identifies as queer, also wanted to stand together with her fellow LGBTQ+ community members on Tuesday. Growing up in Idaho, she said there was only one gay bar in Boise when she came out in the 1990s. That led to her finding a tight-knit community that has allowed her to be herself.

At least five counter-protestors were spotted toward the back of the rally near its end holding signs that read "Protect children's innocence," "Jesus saves! Are you saved?" and "Ban drag shows for kids" covered in red handprints.

Jennifer Stillwell, of the Coachella Valley, said she has "nothing against the LGBTQ community," but she is not pleased that drag queens are holding story hours with children, or that teachers are teaching a certain "agenda." Instead, Stillwell said they should focus on teaching children math, English, science and other academic subjects in school, and if they want to teach topics related to the LGBTQ community, they should first seek approval from parents. When asked if her children have had personal experience with what she was describing, she said they are homeschooled.

She also said children should not attend drag shows because she claimed performers at some shows get naked and that would "desensitize" kids to possible predators down the line. Stillwell said she attended a drag show in the past which included a man wearing a thong and dancing for money, and she observed that a child was in attendance.

"If I took my children to a strip club, they would be taken away by (Child Protective Services)," Stillwell said.

Two drag show fans in attendance Tuesday were Ellie, 10, and her grandmother, Robin Bishop. Ellie said she enjoys the shows because the performers "can be themselves and just do what they want to do." The 10-year-old believes it's "wrong" for drag shows to be banned, and wondered, "Have they ever met a drag queen in those towns?"

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Hundreds attend Palm Springs Drag4Drag rally to protest anti-drag legislation