I’m Not A Big Fan…

But I realize that many people are fans of drag shows, well now a Tennessee town wants to ban them. The whole movement to ban them seems to be based on prejudice because there is no nudity.

Tennessee town tries to ban drag shows, rally planned in response
Tennessean 
By Amy K Nixon
September 14, 2017

A rally is planned in the small city of Portland next week to support a local drag show group after that city's move to shut them down.

The city of Portland, just off Interstate 65 at the Kentucky state line, passed the first reading of an ordinance amendment on adult-oriented businesses that would essentially prohibit Elite Drag Star Productions from holding drag shows.

One of Elite’s owners, Kyle Guillermo, said the ordinance is a response to a drag show that the company put on for the first time Aug. 12 at Envy Bar & Restaurant at 111 Main St. in Portland.

“Shortly after that, we received hate mail on Facebook,” said Guillermo. “People are trying to get us out of Portland.”

Guillermo said that the ordinance is trying to label them as “adult cabaret.”

“That’s not what we do,” he said. “We are drag queens, we are not taking our clothes off. We are not cabaret.”
[…]
At its Sept. 5 meeting, the City Board of Alderman voted unanimously to amend the combined zoning ordinance in regards to “adult oriented business” with no discussion. They did reference a larger discussion at a previous work session.

So the Board equates being LGBT as being the same as pornography.

This battle was fought in the 50s, 60s, and 70s and those who banned LGBT entertainment lost in courts because it violated the First Amendment rights to free speech, so now the battle is being fought again.

Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, a statewide organization that works for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, said, “This ordinance raises First Amendment questions because of the way it limits artistic expression, equal protection questions because of the way it regulates gender, and it creates a bad climate for business through over-regulation. I think the Board of Aldermen has an opportunity to press the pause button before they invite legal trouble and national scorn."

Will the bigots win in court?

I don’t know, but there is always a chance that they will win in the Supreme Court. However, one thing I do know is that we have to hope the Justice Kennedy does not retire until the Democrats control either the presidency or the Senate.