Drag Race legend Jujubee expertly explains how anti-drag laws will hurt cis, straight people too
Jujubee wants everyone to know that they could be affected by anti-drag legislation, too. (Getty/ FilmMagic)
RuPaul’s Drag Race four-time finalist and bona fide fan favourite Jujubee has expertly outlined why straight, cis people should be concerned about anti-drag legislation too.
Last month, Montana passed a vague bill which attempts to ban drag shows from taking place in public places, while in March, Tennessee became the first state to outlaw public drag shows.
However, in both cases, the wording is so broad that the legislation could in theory be used to target straight, cisgender people, too.
Montana’s bill HB359 defines drag queens and kings as “male or female performers who adopt a flamboyant parodic [male or female] persona with glamorous or exaggerated costumes and make-up”.
In Tennessee, the legislation bans “adult cabaret performances” in public or where they can been by minors, including “male or female impersonators”.
Speaking to Distractify, Drag Race legend Jujubee outlined why this could mean that everyone, not just drag performers or LGBTQ+ people, could be at risk.
“If you can pull somebody over because you think that they are dressed as the ‘wrong’ gender, who’s to say a cis, straight female who has short hair and is wearing pants can’t be pulled over because the person pulling them over doesn’t agree with what they look like?,” Jujubee asked.
Referring to the anti-LGBTQ+ Republican politicians forcing through such laws, the Boston drag queen added: “Anything but being a cis, white, straight male, is ‘other’ to them.”
“It’s not about drag. It’s actually not even about protecting the children. If it was about protecting children, we would give these kids the right education, we wouldn’t give every single person who wanted a gun a gun. Noise isn’t made when kids are being murdered.”
Tennessee’s drag ban, which has been widely condemned by drag performers and celebrities including Melissa McCarthy, Kevin Bacon, Madonna, and Lizzo, is currently temporarily blocked due to its vagueness.
A federal judge put the brakes on the bill until at least the end of May, citing it as “vague and overly-broad”, as it could lead to plays, pantomimes, and even Shakespeare performances being banned.
Despite the temporary ban, some law officials appear to be insistent on using their power to take drag off of public platforms anyway, as singer-songwriter Hayley Kiyoko recently revealed that she was threatened with legal action if she brought drag queens on-stage at her concert in Nashville.
In addition to attempting to ban drag performances, Tennessee has also passed a harmful law aimed at preventing trans youth from receiving gender-affirming healthcare in the state.
The piece of legislation is one of hundreds being passed or advanced in states across the US.
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