Montana Drag is Here to Stay

The House of Representatives of Montana voted on House Bill 359, also called the Drag Show Ban, on Feb. 24.. This bill would ban all minors in the state of Montana from attending drag shows, minors from entering any businesses that have are geared for sexual content, any drag shows being put on in libraries or schools that receive state funding, drag shows anywhere there are children present and any drag shows from being put on in any space that is owned or funded by the state government. You might need to read through that list of bans one more time to really let that sink in. These bans not only restrict drag shows, they also fuel transphobia.

Hate speech is not new to our world, and especially not our country. While it isn’t something that is unheard of, it is something that negatively impacts millions of people around the world. Some of those people are living right here in our community. 

The Queer-Straight Alliance at MSU has received multiple threats over the past few weeks in an attempt to hinder them from putting on a Drag Makeup Event. Thankfully, this did not deter the organization and only made them more resilient against the hate. 

This is just one example of a specific group of people getting targeted by anonymous threats. The LGBTQIA+ community has been a victim of this for decades, arguably centuries. This is not a new phenomena for them, but why is this still such a prevalent issue? 

In late November 2022, Colorado Springs, Colorado faced one of the largest forms of hate. A LGBTQIA+ club called Club Q was targeted by a shooter and as a result, five people lost their lives and eighteen more were injured. On the eve of Transgender Remembrance Day, a day honoring and remembering those who were victims of acts of violence due to transphobia, this community suffered yet another heartbreaking loss. Since then, people across the country have not felt as safe as they should attending LGBTQIA+ events and the community is suffering. 

The hate this specific community faces nearly every single day is asinine and it does not seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Now, let me address some things. Not all drag is meant for children to see, just like not all movies or concerts are meant for children to see. This doesn’t mean that these things are inherently bad. There are drag queens and kings who put on a very family-friendly show and lip-sync to songs like “Barbie Girl” and “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen, just like there are other performers who will do more grungy and edgy numbers. All drag is not the same. 

As an avid fan of many local drag queens, the possibility of this bill being passed breaks my heart. I went to my first drag show when I was 19 years old, and I felt almost a bit cheated. After seeing the show, I loved it and I wished I had been exposed to that environment sooner. I had seen RuPaul’s Drag Race and had watched drag queens online for years, but it is not the same as being in a room full of all of those loving and caring people encouraging each other to be themselves. 

Regarding the potential ban on minors entering businesses that are sexually oriented, I want you to think about the local sex store, Erotique. This business is open simply for the purpose of making sure that our community has access to safe items regarding sex. While it is understandable that some may want to ban minors from going into stores like these, why would they want to hinder someone from staying safe in a time when sex is not always guaranteed to be that way? High school students often have urges that they act on. This is when some pretty scary things can happen simply because they are not educated or they don’t have the supplies they need to stay safe. Openly talking about sex with young adults and high school students is one of the most effective ways to make sure they are staying protected and are not getting into situations that would put them in danger. 

People like those at the Queer-Straight Alliance, Erotique and those involved in the Montana drag scene are trying their hardest to spread their message of safety and love across the state, which can be a pretty tough job to do when a bill like this is brought up in the House of Representatives.

This is not a community filled with hateful people. They are simply trying to show love and spread some joy in this world.