[New] Utah, Idaho petitions target drag shows as ‘sexualizing children’

A petition started by Utah Tech University adjunct professor Alexis Ence calls upon the Utah Legislature to take action “to protect children from sexualization in our shared, public spaces,” which, she says, means drag shows in “public spaces.”

Saying she is one of the “concerned moms all over the nation,” Ence posted that she realized that the drag show hosted in St. George this summer meant “Utah was not immune to the child-sexualization we see happening all over the United States.”

Because, she wrote, Utah created a “Pornographic and Harmful Materials and Performances law” to “protect children from pornographic/sensitive materials in schools,” and because Utah law requires “blinder racks” to cover 2/3 of a magazine cover that might be offensive, “Clearly, Utah and the U.S. have established precedents for protecting children from sexualized/harmful materials, so why does live, interactive entertainment, like a drag show, get a pass?”

“It shouldn’t,” she surmised. “Shared, public spaces in Utah’s communities should be safe spac- es for children, unencumbered by adult entertainment (from any sex/ gender/preference),” she wrote.

Over 1,300 people have signed the petition as of press time.

Idaho

A similar petition in Idaho bases its reasoning on the debunked accusation that a drag performer exposed their genitalia onstage at Coeur d’Alene’s “Pride in the Park.”

“There, onstage in the heart of the public park, a drag performer danced provocatively in women’s panties and high heels while grabbing his crotch,” the petition alleges. “

“Some observers reported the drag queen exposed his genitals to an audience that included many children. The local prosecutor refused to bring charges, insisting that the alleged unlawful activity was not captured by videographic and photographic evidence.”

Indeed, Coeur d’Alene police reviewed an uncensored video from a post that went viral that blurred the groin area of the performer, and a second video as well, and found that “allegations of indecent exposure or other crimes cannot be supported by the evidence.”

The Idaho Family Policy Center insists they saw genitalia in the video.

“Parents need to understand that cross-dressing is often an erotic fetish for drag performers who become sexually aroused when they imitate sexualized behaviors of the opposite sex in public,” the unsigned petition states. “With that in mind, it becomes clear that public drag shows exploit children and other audience members for the depraved purpose of sexually gratifying the performer. Let me be clear: these creeps are using our children as pawns for their perverse sexual desires.”

“To protect our children, the Idaho Legislature must update state laws to address these vile sexual exhibitions in places where children are present,” the petition concludes. “Our children’s innocence — and public virtue — must be protected. Please update state laws to ensure children are not exposed to sexual exhibitions like drag shows in public places.”