FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE DRAG QUEENS

BY CHARLIE HANO

Tennessee House Bill HB0009 defines “Adult cabaret performance" as “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, or similar entertainers, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration;” The bill goes on to say;

“(1) It is an offense for a person to engage in an adult cabaret performance: (A) On public property; or (B) In a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” This bill is slated to go into effect on July 1, 2023. On December 7th, 2023 the national tour of Mrs. Doubtfire will begin performances at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

Hi friends My name is Charlie Hano and I’ve been a member of CSA since 2021 This year I think I became the first openly transgender man to win an Artios Award, which is pretty cool! I’m a lifelong musical theater nerd who lives on the upper west side of Manhattan, and in certain parts of the country, it’s now a crime for me to sing at a karaoke bar. But this is beyond that, let’s talk about actors. Let’s talk about casting.

When I spoke to a representative from Governor Lee’s office as to whether or not the upcoming tour of Mrs. Doubtfire would be illegal under these new restrictions, the young man could only give me the response “I do not know.” When I asked to speak to someone who could answer my question, he was unable to provide me with such assistance. He did, however, inform me that he watched the original Mrs. Doubtfire movie as a child, and is a fan. At least fourteen states are trying to pass similar laws, meaning that Mrs. Doubtfire is far from the only show that could find itself in legal limbo. The national tour of Moulin Rouge is scheduled to perform at two different locations in Florida. Now going beyond musical theater, how could these laws be applied to Shakespeare? Does A Midsummer Night's Dream now count as drag? When I spoke to Jerry Mitchell, he informed me that the producing bodies for the non-equity tour of Hairspray have a fund dedicated to assisting actors with any potential legal issues they may face, for doing their jobs.

Any law that restricts performance will eventually come back to casting Actors will not want to audition for shows that could land them in jail, and producers will not want to raise money for ongoing bail funds. So where does this leave us? What can we do to protect our community and our livelihood? In an ideal world, we could partner with Actors' Equity, and sue these states for infringing on our right to work and our freedom of speech. We can also donate to the ACLU’s Drag Legal Defense fund, call the representatives of every state considering these laws, and commit to casting trans, gender non-conforming, and drag performers, in projects where we know they will be safe and legally protected. The arts have always been, and will always be a community that celebrates misfits Let’s stand by each other, while we still can.