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What a drag!
Several Republicans who have backed measures to restrict drag shows and claimed such performances pose dangers to children were recently accused of previously dressing in drag themselves.
I won't hold my breath, but there are valuable lessons these men can learn from these awkward revelations.
While Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee spoke to reporters on Monday, an activist called him out about a photo of him dressed as a woman when he was a high school senior in 1977.
Let Lee tell it, that his dressing like a woman was different from the drag shows he’s targeting in that … well … he actually had no real defense. When confronted with the photo, Lee claimed that people “conflating something like that to sexualized entertainment in front of children” were wrong. (The photo, of course, showed Lee dressed in drag at a school.)
In the video below, you’ll see Lee being driven away as he’s asked whether the difference between his performance and performances criminalized by Tennessee’s anti-drag law was the performers’ sexual orientation.
Watch the exchange:
But that’s not the end of it.
Texas state Rep. Nate Schatzline, who authored a bill that would criminalize drag performances and restrict where they can be held, was also found to have dressed in drag back in high school, sequined gown and all. Watch the video here:
In a tweet, Schatzline dismissed the controversy by claiming his dressing up was “not a sexually explicit drag show.”
But his character was nicknamed “The Virgin,” according to NBC News. And the video plays over a song called “Sexy Lady.” It would certainly seem as though Schatzline participated in an explicitly sexual drag performance in the most literal way.
Both Lee and Schatzline find themselves in a problem of their own making. Much like the drag performers they’ve sought to criminalize, they’re now having to field questions about the perceived sexuality of their seemingly harmless performances.
It’s a predicament conservatives are yet to find their way out of. How, after all, does the party condemn drag performers without engaging in their fair share of friendly fire? How does the party answer for this steamy skit from 2000 featuring Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani dressed in drag?
And what about other events, like circuses or professional wrestling shows in which men occasionally dress as women? Are those off-limits for children as well? How about school plays?
The idea that Bill Lee, Nate Schatzline or any other anti-drag conservative ought to be seen as authorities on what constitutes sexuality is deserving of only one response: "girl, bye."