Don’t mess with drag queens and expect them to sit back and shrug. Or frankly, any of us queer people. Curious about an example? On Tuesday, drag queens in full glory met up at the Missouri Capitol to rally against anti-queer bills that seek to stomp on the state’s LGBTQ+ community. And they weren’t alone—queer kids came to speak, because we have indeed failed as a country to be in this position to begin with.
These bills include efforts to bar trans youth from participating in sports teams with their peers, bans on gender-affirming health care for trans minors, and bans on public drag shows. Yes, we’re in a pandemic. Yes, we’re barreling toward a recession. Yes, we’re coming up on an election year. Yes, this is what Republicans are prioritizing.
In Missouri, anti-trans efforts to ban safe, age-appropriate gender-affirming health care for trans youth come with a ban on physicians providing any gender-affirming care for people under 18, as well as a block on insurance covering such care. In terms of public drag shows, violators could face up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine if they’re caught performing drag in public or where a minor could see it, per HB 494.
Again: This is what Republicans are waging a war on? And of course, the sports debate is still alive and well—and still dehumanizing and horrifying for the young people affected.
“As a trans woman, I will not be erased,” said drag performer and TransParent advocacy leader Jordan Braxton, per the Associated Press. “As a drag queen, I will not be erased. As a human being, I will not be erased.”
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