2023 National News in Review
thegavoice.com2023 has been a hugely impactful year for the LGBTQ community nationwide. Drag performers, the trans community, youth, and health care were attacked with a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills — but there were still some small wins for the community throughout the year.
Join us as we reminisce on the highs and lows of 2023. Republican States Target Drag Performers February 24, 2023 By early 2023, at least 14 states had introduced bills that would restrict drag queens from performing in public spaces and venues viewable by minors.
Some of the proposed legislation required venues that host drag events to register as “adult-oriented businesses.” In Missouri, legislators are considering several bills, including one described as changing “the definition of a sexually oriented business to include any nightclub or bar that provides drag performances.” Another bill would classify “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest” as adult cabaret performances.
Performances on public property or viewed by minors could result in a misdemeanor punishable by jail time and a hefty fine. Republican Arkansas Gov.
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