Sunday, November 06, 2022

Tenn lawmaker wants to ban drag show for lewdness. Says questions about lack of proof is 'distraction.'

Conservatives are still raising hell about drag shows, even to the point of making fools of themselves. 

From The Jackson Sun in Tennessee:

Legislators in Madison County and a number of members of the First United Methodist Church have filed a request for an injunction against the city of Jackson to halt a portion of the Jackson Pride event, which is slated to occur on Saturday — raising First Amendment violation concerns. 

Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County, is leading the charge to suspend the event along with Sen. Ed Jackson, R-Jackson. Controversy is swirling around the festival after Jackson Pride organizers announced the inclusion of a “family-friendly drag show” in their third annual celebration of the area’s LGBTQ community. . . .The injunction request asks that a judge prohibit the performance of a drag show in conjunction with Jackson Pride, as well as declare Jackson Pride’s usage of the center be declared a public nuisance and prohibit them from ever using the facility again.

 Here is the funniest part of the entire situation. Todd admitted that he hasn't spoken to any of the entertainers nor the organizers. He has no proof that the show will be lewd. Organizers, by the way, spoke to the Jackson Sun and assured the publication that the drag show is family-friendly. The kicker of it all is what Todd said when asked about his objections to the drag show: 

When asked how he could declare an event “lewd” if he had not inquired about the contents of the show, Todd said such questions were a “distraction.” 
“These are simple distractions and diversions,” he said. “That’s all those comments are. Because they have no sound legal grounds to argue the point. So they detract and divert the attention to something else. The info of what these drag shows are about is clearly in public domain and can be viewed online and on their individual social media platforms. It is very clear what they do.” 

 So Todd wants to ban a family-friendly drag show because he thinks it will be lewd. But when asked how can he assume the event will be lewd if he hasn't talked to the organizers, he calls the question a distraction. The article rightfully points out that there are First Amendment concerns with what Todd wants to do.

That's not the only problem as far as I'm concerned. I'm gonna need aspirin to handle all of the gaslighting.