Tennessee is the first U.S. state to ban drag shows, just days after banning healthcare for transgender youth. Passed on Thursday, this bill criminalizes drag shows that are operating within 1,000 feet of public property. These shows are also illegal in LGBTQ+ spaces--spaces that are supposed to provide safety and comfort for this politically targeted group. This week, lawmakers passed a bill banning public drag performances in the Volunteer State. Blaker-Jordan also writes about how the bill attacks individual freedoms of speech (because drag is a form of speech), collective freedoms of assembly, and Pride parades.
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