This Is How Crazy It Has Gotten!

First the movie "Ruby Bridges" was banned. Then dozens of books and finally it is Michelangelo's 'David'. They are in a feeding frenzy in banning any thing about Black or LGBTQ+ people.

Can kids see ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’? How DeSantis’ anti-drag war is affecting the performing arts
Miami Herald
By Amanda Rosa
April 4, 2023

Before there was “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and drag brunch in Wynwood, there was Shakespeare.

Women were not allowed to perform on stage in England until 1660, which meant that men in wigs and dresses would depict female characters in Shakespeare’s most iconic plays. In modern theater, a strong tradition of drag on stage remains, from Edna Turnblad in “Hairspray” to Mrs. Trunchbull in “Matilda” to Angel in “Rent.”

This is something right out of the 1930s when the Germans closed the cafes.

How the Nazis destroyed the first gay rights movement
The Conversation
By John Broich
July 4, 2017

In 2017, Germany’s Cabinet approved a bill that would expunge the convictions of tens of thousands of German men for “homosexual acts” under that country’s anti-gay law known as “Paragraph 175.” That law dates back to 1871, when modern Germany’s first legal code was created.

The story of how close Germany – and much of Europe – came to liberating its LGBTQ people before violently reversing that trend under new authoritarian regimes is an object lesson showing that the history of LGBTQ rights is not a record of constant progress.

Are we repeating history?

In the 1920s, Berlin had nearly 100 gay and lesbian bars or cafes. Vienna had about a dozen gay cafes, clubs and bookstores. In Paris, certain quarters were renowned for open displays of gay and trans nightlife. Even Florence, Italy, had its own gay district, as did many smaller European cities.

[…]

Partly driving this new era of tolerance were the doctors and scientists who started looking at homosexuality and “transvestism” (a word of that era that encompassed transgender people) as a natural characteristic with which some were born, and not a “derangement.” The story of Lili Elbe and the first modern sex change, made famous in the recent film “The Danish Girl,” reflected these trends.

For example, Berlin opened its Institute for Sexual Research in 1919, the place where the word “transsexual” was coined, and where people could receive counseling and other services. Its lead doctor, Magnus Hirschfeld, also consulted on the Lili Elbe sex change.

Now all around the country states have been shutting down our clinics and banning our healthcare, are we repeating history?

The Miami Herald goes on to say…

Conservative politicians’ increasingly inflammatory rhetoric and legislation targeting the LGBTQ community may have a chilling effect. Members of South Florida’s theater scene question what the implications may be for performances that include LGBTQ characters, actors in drag or themes that the state government may find offensive. Drag artists wonder if venues that have hosted their shows in the past may now view them as a liability. And some worry that theater may be the next battleground in DeSantis’ culture war.

Tell me what is the difference between the 1930s laws and the 2023 laws?