VETOED
SB1698Â ATTACK ON DRAG SHOWS
Senator Wadsack’s bill criminalizing drag performance attempts to paint drag shows as inherently sexually explicit, obscene, and harmful to children. That just simply isn’t true! 🚫 No on SB1698. Vetoed 🎉
Bill sponsored by Justine Wadsack • RTS: For (180) – Against (463)
- Criminalizing drag shows. As written, a violation of SB1698 would carry penalty of a class 4 felony dangerous crime against children (DCAC). So far, out of the many bills being introduced like this across the country, only Arizona’s SB1698 carries a sex offender registration requirement. This is a dangerous escalation of attacks on drag performers and the LGBTQ+ community.
- A contradiction of parental rights. Like all forms of entertainment, some drag shows are family friendly and some are not—this isn’t hard to understand! A drag show performed for a general audience might contain adult jokes that would go over kids’ heads, but that’s equally true of PG-13 family movies like Shrek, most of the Avengers/MCU franchise, and many other Disney and Pixar films.
- AZ law already protects children. QUIT WASTING TIME and get to work! It’s already illegal to take minors to strip clubs or expose them to adult entertainment per 13-3558, and 11-811 authorizes local regulation of adult-oriented businesses for public health, safety, and welfare.
- Bad for Arizona businesses or performers who might self-censor out of fear of being targeted by a misinformed culture-war bill written for selective enforcement.
CURRENT STATUS: Recent floor amendments (March 2023) have updated the proposed bill as follows:
- Removed explicit references to drag shows
- Modified the definition of “adult oriented business” to include establishments that conduct or host sexually explicit performances, rather than drag shows or establishments that conduct drag shows.
- Added a definition of “sexually explicit,” which means an intention to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires or to appeal to the prurient interest.
- Modified the definition of “adult oriented performance” to specify that the show or performance is in-person.
- Specified that a person commits unlawful exposure to an adult oriented performance or business if the offender allows a minor to view an ‘adult oriented’ performance or enter an business where such a performance is occurring – OR – if the offender performs or allow another person to perform in view of a minor.
- This would mean the parent or guardian who took a child to see a drag performer would be charged with a felony and required to register as a sex offender
While the language has been massaged to be more defensible, the intention remains the same. 🚫 No on SB1698!