On WCOA this morning, State Rep. Alex Andrade said that drag shows are not illegal in Florida unless the show simulates sex acts or exposes genitalia and children are in the audience.
Tampa Pride canceled Pride on the River.
People complained that Gallery Night had an LGBTQ+ theme this past Friday.
Earlier this year, Perfect Plain Brewing Co. canceled its drag show after they received calls that they would have their business license pulled for hosting a drag show.
Reality Check: Rep. Andrade said that drag performances are protected under the First Amendment.
“The best example I always give is if you want to put on a historically accurate Shakespeare play, you’re going to have a lot of dudes dressed up as women. And there’s no question that is protected First Amendment speech, the same way the vast majority of these performances are protected.
“First Amendment speech, there’s only one distinct line. And I think the vast majority of people can agree to that line (not exposing children to sexually explicit acts).”
Dig Deeper:
Perfect Plain: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what Perfect Plain was trying to do put on. I don’t think it was marketed as family-friendly, but at the same time, I don’t think that it was intended to simulate sex or expose genitalia to kids.” – Rep. Andrade.
He added, “And I want to reiterate that again. I mean, no one is trying to make putting on clothes illegal, and there was no bill this year in the Florida legislature that attempted to make putting on clothes illegal.”
