Democrat State Rep. Anna Eskamani of Orlando believes it is a “political performance” for the state of Florida to warn venues not to allow kids to watch sexual performances at recent drag shows. Others believe that venues should be held accountable if they show explicit performances to children.
The disagreements come after a controversial drag show performance called “A Drag Queen Christmas” toured the country, including four Florida cities including Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Clearwater. Lakeland Gazette can confirm that several children were exposed to explicit dances, swearing, and explicit sexual jokes in Orlando at The Plaza Live performance.
This Drag queen had a lot to say to children who were on the front row who were being given money by their mother to hand to the Drag Queens.
— Tayler Hansen (@TaylerUSA) December 15, 2022
He engaged with two different children, a 9 and 10 year old.
“Are you having fun, are you enjoying it, are you confused yet?” pic.twitter.com/KydNKlJjND
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando venues allowed children to attend “A Drag Queen Christmas.” The Orlando venue advertised “all ages welcome” while the other two said minors need to be accompanied by an adult.
Prior to the performance, the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation issued a warning regarding children attending sexually explicit drag shows.
The DeSantis Administration cited Florida’s licensure laws that entail strict penalties for licensees who allow minors to attend such drag shows at their licensed premises.
“The actions by DBPR in targeting drag shows across the state is political performance, but it is also intimidation and the notion of losing your liquor license is huge for any small business, especially an organization like Plaza Live,” Eskamani said.
Eskamani said she has had enough of “homophobic messaging.”
“It’s just incredibly ironic. I mean, Governor DeSantis continues to demonize LGBTQ+ people and their performances. Meanwhile, whether it’s Hooters, whether it’s rated M or R shows or movies you don’t see that same type of rhetoric or concern for the well-being of children,” she continued. “It is a parent’s choice. You know, the Republican Party talks all about choice. They talk all about parental rights. It is a parent’s choice to decide what content is appropriate versus not.”
Elon Gerberg, a father and founder of Florida Fathers for Freedom, said the show is not for kids in a recent interview.
This performer paraded around with his “tits in a box” and shook his buttocks for the crowd.
— Tayler Hansen (@TaylerUSA) December 15, 2022
At one point the Drag Queen said “are you reaching for my titties are you hungry” to a child in the audience.
Throughout the Drag Queen talking he had multiple people spank him. pic.twitter.com/7WrGDcv3bH
“Standing against and exposing the sexualization of children will bring out the most evil, ugly opposition. They will call you transphobic, homophobic, a fascist, a Nazi.. but DO NOT let that deter you from being a good parent and doing the right thing,” said Gerberg.
Gerberg and others protested at the Fort Lauderdale and Orlando venues the night of the performances.
“There’s grown men in lingerie essentially, dancing in front of young children […] There’s all types of sexual acts that children should have no business watching,” he said.
“This is wrong and parents need to stand up against it.”
The show displayed drag queens and others dancing sensually. For example, one performance included “Screwdolph the red-nippled reindeer” with breasts that lit up red.
Screwdolph the Red Nippled Reindeer was performed at last night’s Drag Queen Christmas in Ft. Lauderdale with kids in the audience. Pretty much everything you saw on @TaylerUSA’s thread. pic.twitter.com/ssfe4zE8Nc
— Chris Nelson ?? ? (@ReOpenChris) December 27, 2022
“Screwdolph with your nipples so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight,” was sung during the performance.
During one performance, one of the drag queens said “just throw your wiener on me,” making a sexual joke to the other drag queen.
Many performers were wearing little clothing, with prosthetic body parts, and thongs.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) issued the following letter to the Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation, which reads in part:
The Department has reason to believe that this drag show is of a sexual nature, involving the exposure or exhibition of sexual organs, simulated sexual activity, and/or the sexualization of children’s stories. The Department has also become aware that drag shows by Drag Fans have been marketed to and attended by minors, including young children.
Sexually explicit drag show performances constitute public nuisances, lewd activity, and disorderly conduct when minors are in attendance.
In short, if you allow children to attend the Drag Fans drag show at your facility, you are putting your license in jeopardy.
To avoid action being taken against your license, it is your obligation to ensure that minors are prohibited from attending the Drag Fans drag show.
If minors are allowed to attend this drag show, the Department will take any and all actions available to ensure that you do not pose a threat to minors in the future.
Melanie S. Griffin
Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said Gov. Ron DeSantis and the executive branch will be taking the investigation of a drag show that took place in Fort Lauderdale seriously.
Moody was on Fox Friends First and said “energy in the executive in Florida is on full display” and credited DeSantis. She explained that no parent or business is exempt from “liability” for exposing children to “sexually suggestive material.”
GRAPHIC
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 23, 2022
Mayor of Knoxville, TN attended “Drag Queen Christmas” which was open for “all-ages.”
The show is by a group on tour throughout the US. Their shows feature exposed buttholes, simulated sex acts, & oversized fake exposed breasts.
Elected officials are promoting this. pic.twitter.com/60rLNhrVGL
“Look at the two differences between President Biden and Governor DeSantis, certainly energy in the executive in Florida is on full display,” said Moody. “When folks are complaining, when there’s an allegation that children are being exposed to inappropriate material, whether that’s with a parent or not, I can tell you, as a judge and a former prosecutor, I saw all the time, parents against laws exposed children to explicit, sexually suggestive material. That doesn’t exempt anyone, a parent or a business from liability for such behavior.”
After noticing MULTIPLE children in the audience at the explicit Drag Queen Christmas in Ft Lauderdale I called out performer Nina West for inviting and allowing children to come to her sexually explicit shows! pic.twitter.com/3XA4qqV0IR
— Chris Nelson ?? ? (@ReOpenChris) December 27, 2022