Gov. DeSantis...

The governor of Florida hates drag! And his latest target is a drag bar and he is bring the full weight and power of the government against the bar.

How R House, the target of DeSantis’ complaint, got one of Miami’s hottest drag shows
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration filed a state complaint against Miami’s R House on Tuesday that says the Wynwood bar’s weekend Drag Show Brunches expose minors to “sexually explicit drag shows.” R House has 21 days to respond. It could lose its liquor license if judged to be in violation of local laws and codes.
Miami Herald
By Amanda Rosa
July 28, 2022


The story goes a little something like this: a chef, a DJ, a lawyer and a drag queen walk into a bar. That might sound like the set up to a funny joke, but according to its website, this is the origins of R House, an iconic Wynwood restaurant known for hosting drag shows while serving Latin-inspired food. But on Tuesday, the restaurant found itself in the headlines when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration filed a state complaint against R House that says that the restaurant’s drag show brunches expose minors to “sexually explicit drag shows.”

Well first off, the show id not sexual. Yes, there are scantly clad performers but there is no nudity. Second, it is a bar and you have to be 21 to enter.

In the meantime, Wynwood became another LGBTQ hub in South Florida. The neighborhood is often seen as a focal point for Miami’s bustling drag scene and is home to its own Pride festival every June. Since R House began hosting its weekend drag brunches and consistent weekday drag shows, the restaurant’s popularity only skyrocketed. Reservations go fast, and customers often have to book weeks in advance.

And thanks to the governor,

Every weekend, a line of people with reservations forms down the sidewalk in front R House to check in. Once seated, customers order plates of food, pour carafes of mimosas and take out some cash to tip the performers. R House is popular among tourists and locals alike, especially for birthdays and bachelorette parties.

Okay, here is the thing the First Amendment allows drag shows. And as I mentioned above the audience is 21 and over. This is nothing more than political grandstanding it is malicious prosecution, and misuse of power. DeSantis is believed to by running for president in 2024.

There is a New England connection...

Before moving to Miami full-time, Carulli owned a restaurant in Provincetown, a Massachusetts summer resort town, and spent winters working as a chef in Miami Beach. He chose Wynwood as the home of his new restaurant because the neighborhood’s burgeoning art scene reminded him of Provincetown’s artistic community. “I feel like it has the most soul of any of the communities in Miami,” Carulli told the Herald in a 2014 interview. While R House served Latin American, Middle Eastern and Asian inspired dishes, the restaurant also functioned as an art gallery, a unique feature at the time. R House displays artwork on its walls to this day.

What is common in the north is persecuted in the south.