Tenn Gov Bill Lee's high school drag picture resurfaces as he pledges to sign anti-drag bill

Tenn Gov Bill Lee wants to sign bill into law which automatically make drag illegal to be performed in front of minors. But a high school picture of him in drag contradicts his anti-drag narrative.

The Tennessee state legislature just passed a bill which would categorize drag as sexually explicit and thus make it illegal to be performed on public property and in front of minors. Supporters of the bill claim that it is to keep children from being "sexualized." Opponents point out that the bill automatically categorizes drag performances and drag queens as sexually explicit even if they are g-rated, such as the Drag Queen Story Hour event.

 Tennessee Gov Bill Lee said that he will sign the bill into law. But there is an irony to the situation.

He's appeared in drag before. And in high school.

From Independent UK via AOL:

An image appearing to show Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in drag in 1977 has surfaced as the state looks set to impose a new anti-drag law. “As Tennessee moves forward to ban drag, enjoy a high school yearbook picture of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in drag (Franklin High yearbook 1977, page 165),” a Reddit user wrote in a post on the subreddit Political Humor, sharing a picture of what seems to be Mr Lee in a photo above the caption “Hard Luck Woman”. 

 The image was widely shared on social media with users arguing that Republicans are hypocrites on the issue, mentioning that more recent images also depict New York Republican Representative George Santos in drag as the party attempts to utilise the issue in the so-called culture war. 

 Democrat Christopher Hale wrote on Twitter: “Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is set to sign a bill that bans and criminalizes drag across the Volunteer State. Under this law, Governor Lee himself would face prosecution and jail time for his decision to dress up as a ‘hard luck woman’ in high school. Nice legs though!” 

 Gov Lee was confronted  about the photo by a reporter from an online publication The Tennessee Holler   Instead of addressing the hypocrisy of the entire legislative exercise, he clung to the tired  right-wing canard of  "protecting the children,"

👀 WATCH: “Do you remember dressing in drag in 1977? Is it only illegal when gay people do it?” @GovBillLee didn’t appreciate that we printed out the FRANKLIN HIGH YEARBOOK PHOTO — but did not deny it’s him. Meanwhile he’s about to make drag a felony by signing an absurd law.🤔 pic.twitter.com/C7YQcQyis3

— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) February 27, 2023

Nevertheless, as The Daily Dot points out, the hypocrisy of Lee wanting to sign a bill categorizing drag as sexually explicit even though the past picture of him in drag clearly refutes that notion was duly noted after the picture's release.

photo taken from The Daily Dot.