Texas lawmaker proposes statewide ban on minors attending ‘drag shows and other inappropriate displays’

A Texas state lawmaker is calling for a ban on children attending “drag shows and other inappropriate displays” after videos surfaced online showing children attending an event featuring drag queens at a Dallas gay bar.

The incident in question took place at the bar Mr. Misster, which on June 4 hosted a “Drag The Kids To Pride” show. The event drew protests and counter-protests, with police eventually being called.

Dallas Police Department Spokesman Cpl. Brian Martinez said he was told by Kelly Neidert, executive director of Protect Texas Kids, that there were children inside the bar, and he directed officers into the bar to “ensure that all the kids were out and shielded them from the protestors as they made their exits on their own accounts.”

Police cleared the scene just after 2pm. Martinez said a misdemeanor assault citation was issued to a man who spat on a woman as he drove by.

After the videos of the event surfaced, Republican Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton released a statement calling it a “disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children.” The statewide ban proposed by Slaton would prevent minors from attending such performances. Slaton said Monday that he plans to introduce the law during next year’s legislative session.

“I promised my voters that I would stand up for their values and fight to protect Texas kids,” Slaton said in a statement. “I was re-elected on that promise and I intend to keep it by authoring legislation to defend kids from being subjected to drag shows and other inappropriate events. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.”

The details of the proposal have not yet been finalized and it is currently unclear how this law would be enforced or what the exact language of the proposal would be. However, lawmakers won’t even be able to consider this proposal until they return to the State Capitol for another legislative session, which isn’t for another 8 months.

Slaton added in the statement his commitment to “fight to make sex change therapies on minors ‘child abuse.’” He noted that “similar legislation was killed by Republicans in the Texas House in 2021.”