Anne Geggis
A Wilton Manors Commissioner is raising the alarm that anti-drag show legislation is threatening cities that have events like the city’s annual Stonewall Pride parade and street festival.
The anti-drag bill (SB 1438) teed up for final passage in the Senate originally targeted food and beverage venues for criminal charges — a first-degree misdemeanor — if children were exposed to “adult live performances” with “prosthetic breasts and genitals.” But an amendment added late Tuesday on the Senate floor would also subject city officials to charges if they issue a permit for an event that exposes children to the same thing.
The amendment was adopted without discussion on the Senate floor. The bill, which doesn’t specifically mention drag shows, goes to a final vote in the Senate on Tuesday.
Wilton Manors Commissioner Chris Caputo is condemning the amended legislation, saying it’s an attack on cities that have events like Stonewall Pride, scheduled for June 17 this year, and the monthlong St. Pete Pride in St. Petersburg that kicks off April 30 with the Mx St. Pete Pride Pageant.
“This unjust law is an attack on freedom of expression and will result in the silencing of marginalized voices and further discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals,” he wrote in a Wednesday Facebook post that was also shared on the Wilton Manors page. “This policy directly targets our local community, which has long celebrated such events as a way to honor their identity and diversity.”
Wilton Manors’ Stonewall Pride memorializes the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City that served as a watershed moment for the gay rights movement. Wilton Manors’ pride celebration started in 1999. June is recognized as Pride Month and some cities host flamboyant floats, spectacles, and performances all around.
But Republican Sen. Clay Yarborough said Tuesday that it should be outside the view of children. His bill calls children’s exposure to drag performances “an immediate, serious danger to the public health, safety, or welfare.”
“We have to have repercussions when an entity licensed to do business in our state knowingly exposes children to a lewd live performance,” Yarborough declared in Tuesday’s floor debate.
Wilton Manors’ annual Stonewall Pride parade and street festival is the city’s “signature event,” the city website says. Estimates show it draws between 30,000 to 50,000 celebrants and has a $6 million economic impact.
Caputo said the legislation may also affect “Wicked Manors,” a city-permitted street festival with music, dancing and costume contests. Last year, the Pride Center in the city hosted its ninth annual event.
“We must come together to protect our right to express ourselves freely and oppose this harmful legislation,” Caputo wrote in his Facebook post.
Republican Rep. Randy Fine is sponsoring similar legislation (HB 1423) in the House.
10 comments
Christopher S Davis
April 5, 2023 at 7:24 pm
If I was worried about kids seeing adults dressed in a particular fashion, I would ban kids seeing adults wearing business suits.
Billy the Bamboozler SJC Berlusconi
April 5, 2023 at 8:11 pm
These are parody laws and right wing political theatre. Gives police more freedom to harass people and encourages people to call the cops on other people. Not like these shows feature people without clothes on so they have no right to pass these kinds of laws. It’s not a crime to dance in a costume. It would make a good civil rights case really and a lot of these stupid laws are just political theatre that will be shut down at some point.
Christopher S Davis
April 6, 2023 at 8:38 am
Agree! Culture War (faka “Wedge Issues”) that become law are typically overturned, but there’s a deeper problem in play. The Gross Old Prudes wage their cultural wedge issue war, same as they wage(d) their waning drug war, for the purpose of getting warm GOP bodies into seats of power to redraw the voting district lines and to resurface the judiciary for the purose of funneling more Gross Old Prudes into office in places where they’d lose any fair vote. The Culture War is just the Drug War all over again. The drug war was lost. The culture war will be lost. Probem with their losing wars is, the GOP always declares a new war on [whatever] when their last war starts to fail them. Elderlies start to realize they were scammed, but there’s always new people turning into elderies, so the GOP’s warmaking starts anew for a fresh young batch of elderly scam victims to fall for. SAD!
What Century is This?
April 5, 2023 at 9:54 pm
Party of “Freedom” my ass.
Christopher S Davis
April 6, 2023 at 8:30 am
Pretty sure it’s the party of Freedom FROM ass. They ain’t getting dat ass and since they ain’t, they don’t want nobody getting’ none! GOP = Gross Old Prudes
Earl Pitts American
April 6, 2023 at 5:02 am
Good morning America,
These are the same people encouraging childern to get their breasts and genitals permently surgically cut off in your public elementry schools. They need more punishment then restaurant and bar licences revoked here on earth. Granted they all will burn in hell for eternity but thats not quite enough punishment for what these monsters are doing to Florida’s kids.
Thank you America,
Earl Pitts American
JD
April 6, 2023 at 6:55 am
Show us some evidence Shitts the Pitts, digital herpes. You know you can’t. You’re all manufactured culture war BS.
The Groomer line used by the SHAMEFUL FLGOP and the larger GOP has zero evidence drag queens were doing anything to children. Likewise on gender affirming care. Show us a court case. Show us someone aggrieved by having this available.
Like the bullies they are, they will burn in hell for eternity for their lack of empathy and blatant lies. Keep spouting your Rush Limbaugh inspired lies. It’s not working and the days for the party are numbered. The American people are going to trounce the GOP for their culture wars.
Pathetic and shameful.
“It’s not the heat. It’s the stupidity.”
Christopher S Davis
April 6, 2023 at 8:29 am
Hey Earl Pitts, how’s your foresk1n? Snipped? That’s what I figured. If your mutilated widdle winkie the issue here? Is that why you want government overreach? Is that why you want Rhon DeSatnies in everyones panties? Rhonda’s Panties 2024, so He can tell you what’s in your pants and, lady ladies, what’s in your belly!
Earl Pitts American
April 6, 2023 at 6:09 am
Good morning America,
One of the more promising remidies we are researching is coded “The Uncle Aurthur Cure”.
Violators may choose to be sequesteted in a treatment facility and binge watch episodes of all the 1960’s TV show “Bewitched”, which have Uncle Aurthur in the episode, for 16 hours each day.
This will be a short 3 week program with the goal of bringing back the glory days when “different” people were funny and most importantly harmless.
As 100% proof of how successful this genious program will be:
We never saw Uncle Aurthur try to cut off Tabitha’s breasts and convert the girl child to a boy child. And never did we see Uncle Aurthur groping her little brother Adam and/or dress him in drag either. Yes this treatment has promising elements and we will keep you updated.
Thank you America,
Earl Pitts American
JD
April 6, 2023 at 6:56 am
Show us some evidence Shitts the Pitts, digital herpes. You know you can’t. You’re all manufactured culture war BS.
The Groomer line used by the SHAMEFUL FLGOP and the larger GOP has zero evidence drag queens were doing anything to children. Likewise on gender affirming care. Show us a court case. Show us someone aggrieved by having this available.
Like the bullies they are, they will burn for eternity for their lack of empathy and blatant lies. Keep spouting your talk radio inspired lies. The American people are going to trounce the GOP for their culture wars.
Pathetic and shameful.
“It’s not the heat. It’s the stupidity.”
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