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Our right to the Texas coast
from Vol.65, Issue 8
by The Paisano
Commentary
By Chloe Williams Web and Social Editor
In 2009, the 1959 Texas Open Beaches Act (TXOBA) was codified into the Texas Constitution with support from 77% of voters. This act ensures public access to the 367 miles of coastline bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, despite citizen support for over 60 years, the right to our beaches could be threatened by SB 434 and HB 3114.
Sofia Meija/The Paisano
because “similar entertainers” is not a clear enough definition of what is legal under this bill. Many see Drag as prurient or sexual, while others see it as an expressive art form. Tennessee’s law intends to protect its minors and the public from witnessing sexually explicit performances, but drag itself is not something sexually explicit. Publicly performing in dramatic makeup and cross-dressing should
Drag is a form of expression and entertainment. To ban it from public spaces, especially in such a subjective way, is harmful to the LGBTQ+ community, as it serves as an outlet for many to experiment with gender identity and expression in a safe space. With this new law, Tennessee is becoming a place where drag is tainted with stereotypical labels and is still surrounded by stigma.
This law is not keeping minors’ best interests in mind, as it is allegedly intended to do. This law is pushing discrimination toward drag, moving us away from the inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community. Is this the kind of world we want our children to grow up in?
