Oklahoma bills target drag shows, part of a nationwide GOP trend

Rep. Kevin West believes drag shows are a growing problem in Oklahoma.

The Moore Republican said he hasn’t attended any drag shows himself, but he told lawmakers on Wednesday he’s heard increasing accounts from constituents unexpectantly witnessing the performances.

“They are walking down the street (in downtown Oklahoman City), they turn the corner and they are confronted with this and they have their children with them,” said West, who authored HB 2186, which would ban the public performance of “adult cabaret,” including drag shows, if it is “harmful to minors.” A House committee advanced his bill on Wednesday.

No statistics track a rise in drag show performances, but there has been an increase in bills that target drag events.

"To my knowledge, this is the first year we've seen these bills targeting (drag) shows," said Nicole McAfee, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, which advocates for LGBTQ+ safety and equality in the state.

HB 2186 not the first bill in Oklahoma to target drag shows

McAfee said there have been at least four bills filed this year in Oklahoma that target drag shows, which are often musical performances that challenge gender assumptions.

But Oklahoma's Legislature isn't alone in targeting drag shows as Republican lawmakers have introduced similar bills in at least 14 other states, according to a recent analysis by The Washington Post.

“They seem to be a top priority this year for the GOP lawmakers," Emerson J. Sykes, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, told The Post.

The conservative backlash against drag shows has been noticeable on social media as local lawmakers have shared videos of Oklahoma performances.

More:‘These are beautiful children’: Parents of transgender kids worry about future in Oklahoma

"These are not Oklahoma values," state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters said in a Twitter post last month as he shared a video of a drag show performance.

McAfee accused Republican lawmakers of trying to drum up irrational fear for political purposes.

The attacks on the LGBTQ community, she said, can intensify suicidal ideation as well as encourage violence.

Last year, a Tulsa bar was vandalized and firebombed after it hosted an event with drag performers.

Critics of the bills also have raised concerns about limiting First Amendment protections, and one Republican lawmaker on Wednesday warned West's bill could be a slippery slope to banning other types of performances.

But West said his bill isn't aimed at banning drag shows. Instead, he wants to prevent children from being exposed to performances that include nudity or sexual conduct.

West also referred to Drag Queen Story Hours, which are events held at some libraries in an effort to teach children about gender diversity and LGBTQ acceptance.

"It is crystal clear that what we are trying to do is protect minors," West said. "It’s not banning drag shows. It is not banning how you dress. It is banning the activity that would be considered harmful to minors.”

More:Lawmakers targeting drag shows with 14 bills across U.S., analysis finds

Alicia Andrews, chairwoman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said targeting drag events to protect children was hypocritical.

“Today, (in the news) it's a principal and football coach screaming racial slurs, exposing himself to a locker room of boys, and forcing them to do naked push-ups, and a pastor accused of indecent acts with a minor,” Andrews said in a statement, referring to recent incidents in Oklahoma. "Where is the outcry about these latest incidents? As leaders go after made-up concerns about nothing, we have serious issues with real indoctrination and grooming.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HB 2186 that targets drag shows advances to House