Gov. Bill Lee said he would sign a bill to restrict some drag shows, and he dismissed questions about a yearbook photo that appears to show him dressed in women's clothes in high school.
if he remembered the moment this week while talking with reporters, Lee called it "a ridiculous, ridiculous question."Lee spokesperson Jade Byers tells Axios the governor commends the sponsor, Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, "for bringing this bill to protect children specifically from obscene, sexualized entertainment."
"Any attempt by political activists to conflate this serious issue with lighthearted school traditions is dishonest and disrespectful to Tennessee families."are moving to restrict drag performances this year. Republicans in Tennessee have echoed Lee's comments about preventing children from seeing explicit content.
Critics argue the state's existing obscenity law already does that, and that the Republican effort mischaracterizes drag shows, which do not typically feature nudity. Drag performances vary widely. Libraries or restaurants might host family-friendly events, while shows at adults-only clubs might feature bawdy humor.The bill as written would only apply to performances that are deemed "harmful to minors" under the obscenity law.
But opponents worry it could be enforced more broadly based on differing interpretations from officials across the state.
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