Judge extends restraining order against law banning drag shows until late May. Trial date set for May 22.

Lawmakers attempting to police drag out of existence should pay attention to what's going on in Tennessee. It's could be predicting the fruits of their endeavors.

From The Advocate:

A Tennessee federal judge extended the temporary restraining order against a new law in the state that bans public drag shows and restricts drag shows from happening in the presence of minors. The extension will last until May 26, according to Melissa Stewart, one of the attorneys representing the drag-centric theater group Friends of George’s. A trial date is set for May 22. Memphis-based Friends of George’s sued the state last week over the law. The organization wrote on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, "The temporary restraining order has been extended to May 26 while we continue to fight this unjust law."

 . . .In their suit, the group said the law "explicitly [restricts or chills] speech and expression protected by the First Amendment based on its content, its message, and its messenger." On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, handed down a 14-day temporary restraining order only hours before the law was to go into effect Saturday. In his order, Parker explained that the state hadn’t provided “a clear answer to the Statute's purpose considering current state obscenity laws, along with the Parties' present filings on the Statute's legislative history, the Court finds that Plaintiff has made a likely case for subjecting the Statute to strict scrutiny here."

 . . . The anti-drag legislation was signed into law last month by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. It passed along with a bill banning gender-affirming care for youth. Those found in violation of the law, which affects “adult cabaret entertainment” with “male or female impersonators,” could face felony charges on repeat offenses. It bans drag performances from public property or venues that “could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” 

 We are getting past the legislative strong-arming and the whispering campaigns on Twitter focusing on misrepresented, anecdotal incidents. We are moving into a new venue in this fight in which folks pushing these drag bans have to defend them in a court of law under oath. 

We will see if the witness stand is still a lonely place to lie for conservatives in this situation as it was for marriage equality.  I personally think that notion still holds. 

 Editor's note - I am reposting this list of the times in which drag queens and drag shows have been deliberately mischaracterized as x-rated by those on the right. A paper trail exists for those willing to seek it out:

Far right activists don't know the difference between a circus act and a drag show

Undercover investigators say no lewd acts were performed at drag show targeted by DeSantis

Taken out-of-context video fuels ugly lie about drag queens 'grooming' children

Drag performer sues far-right blogger alleging defamation over edited video 

BUSTED! Far right caught spreading false story that a drag queen exposed self to children 

Candace Owens can't even tell a good lie. Far right personality busted using fake photo of 'drag queen' 

Babylon Bee editor Seth Dillon caught spreading false story about a child tipping a half naked drag queen 

Silly conservative 'activist' doesn't know the difference between drag queens, drag kings, and strippers

'Some lawmakers are trying to police drag out of existence' & other Wed midday news briefs

Some States Want To Say Where You Can And Can't Be In Drag​ - It's stupid and it won't work. But they will try anyway. 

Democrats troll Ron DeSantis with calls to ban his own book from Florida schools - Love the backfire.

Kid Rock shot up Bud Light cans in response to trans influencer partnership - Seriously Kid Rock? But I bet you bought the beer first. 

Texas GOP Votes to Halt Gender-Affirming Care for Existing Patients - These people are simply cruel. It will come back on them.

DeSantis Abandons Florida's Most Vulnerable Kids While Posing As Protector - About time someone points this out.

'We'll cut your throats. We'll put a bullet in your head' - Maryland man charged with threatening LGBTQ group in wake of Nashville mass shooting

 

Adam Michael Nettina

So much attention seems to be focused on Donald Trump's indictment that other more pertinent issues are being shoved to the back. And in several cases, that's a mistake.

Ever since that awful Nashville shooting last month, the far right have been attacking the trans community. The shooter was a person with emotional problems who was said to identify as a trans man. While ignoring the many other times in which mass shootings were perpetrated by cis white males, people like Tucker Carlson, Rep Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Laura Ingraham and others on that noxious side of the political spectrum have exploited this specific tragedy to blame trans people and the LGBTQ community in general.

This is the type of mindset they are inviting. From The Washington Blade:

A Maryland man has been charged with making threats against the Human Rights Campaign. The Justice Department in a press release notes Adam Michael Nettina, 34, of West Friendship, Md., on March 28 left a threatening voicemail that referred to the massacre at the Covenant School in Nashville that took place the day before. The press release notes the shooter who killed six people inside the school “was publicly identified as being transgender."

The Justice Department alleges that Nettina in his message made numerous threats. “You guys going to shoot up our schools now? Is that how it’s going to be? You just gonna to kill little kids. You’re just going to slaughter fucking little kids,” said Nettina, according to the indictment. “Let me tell you something, we’re waiting, we’re waiting. And if you want a war, we’ll have a war. And we’ll fucking slaughter you back. We’ll cut your throats. We’ll put a bullet in your head. We’re not going to give a fuck. You started this bullshit. You’re going to kill us? We’re going to kill you ten times more in full.” 

 Nettina appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Maddox in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on Monday. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted on the charge of interstate communications with a treat to injure. 

 According to The Advocate:

HRC spokesperson Elizabeth Bibi put the threat in context of other attacks on LGBTQ+ Americans. “The LGBTQ+ community is under attack in statehouses across the country and on social media platforms,” she told The Advocate via email. “This violent, hateful rhetoric leads to stigma, and stigma leads to physical violence. As we see radical politicians sow hate and fear with anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, we have seen the physical threats to our community multiply — from armed men at Pride parades, to threats of violence against local drag shows at libraries, to bomb threats at children’s hospitals, to the continued rise in fatal violence against members of our community, especially Black transgender women. 

 “Late last month, HRC received two threatening voicemails. These threats were referred to law enforcement, who have since confirmed that they have made an arrest. We are grateful to law enforcement for acting so quickly to keep our community safe, and we condemn any and all violent words or deeds. We will continue our work to call out those who spread violence, fear, and disinformation.”

'Neo-nazi arrested for firebombing church hosting Drag Queen Story Hour' & other Tue midday news briefs

Neo-Nazi Arrested for Firebombing Church Hosting Drag Queen Story Hour - Here is a story the media is missing.

Anti-drag laws are trying to ban the art form. How 'Drag Race' is fighting back​ - The queens have only BEGUN to fight.

School district sued after eliminating the student newspaper for publishing LGBTQ+ content - Works for me. The lawsuit that is.

Wrestling convention bans Rick Steiner for transphobic comments toward IMPACT’s Gisele Shaw - Rick Steiner was a favorite pro wrestler of mine. Emphasis on "WAS."

Disney CEO Bob Iger blasts DeSantis policies as 'anti-business' and anti-Florida'

Disney CEO Bob Iger

I'm simply watching how DeSantis is wrecking his presidential aspirations as his vendetta against Disney continues to blow up in his face. And enjoying the view:

From Yahoo Finance: 

Disney (DIS) CEO Bob Iger addressed the company's ongoing battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the media giant's annual meeting of shareholders on Monday. "A company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do," Iger said, adding DeSantis' policies are "anti-business" and "anti-Florida" as the politician looks to strip Disney of its self-governing powers.

The fight stems from what has largely been seen as a politically-targeted response over the company's reaction to the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade.

 In 2022, then-CEO Bob Chapek denounced it at the company's annual shareholder meeting after initially deciding not to speak publicly on the matter. In response, DeSantis signed a bill into law that allows him to take control of the company's long-standing special tax district, formerly known as Reedy Creek. Earlier on Monday, DeSantis asked Florida's inspector general to look into a last minute agreement signed by the previous Reedy Creek board that essentially renders the new oversight committee, appointed by DeSantis, powerless.

 No doubt DeSantis had hoped that feuding with Disney would enhance his "culture war fighter" image with conservatives as he readies a run for the 2024 presidential nomination. However, all DeSantis has done thus far is to reveal himself as vindictive, petty, and completely lacking of the intellectual, moral, and emotional majority it takes to be the leader of this nation.

America already elected one disaster infested with those characteristics in 2016. Goodness knows we don't need to elect another one.

'Federal judge orders books with LGBTQ content to return to library shelves in TX' & other Mon midday news briefs

Federal judge orders books with LGBTQ content to return to library shelves in Texas - There you go!

Trump-Appointed Judge Temporarily Blocks Tennessee’s Anti-Drag Law - In case you didn't hear.

MAGA supporter claims drag shows kill more people than guns​ - These people . . . 

The best LGBTQ+ movies and TV shows coming to streaming in April 2023 - Make up a list.

Far right activists don't know the difference between a circus act and a drag show

In their zeal to attack drag shows and falsely accuse drag queens of  'grooming' kids, the far right and their allies have on occasion misrepresented public events to further their claims.

Here is the latest:

Comments about the video are of course filled with venom against drag shows and false accusations against the LGBTQ community at large. I've seen pictures from the video used in montages (with other misrepresented events) in order to push the hysterical idea that drag shows are filled with sexually explicit content while kids are present.

But . . . wait for it . . . here is punchline.

The event is question is not even a drag show.  It was an event by a circus troupe (you visit the Facebook page) which took place in London.  And while some folks may rightfully question it as an event where parents should talk babies, no one can honestly say that it was a drag show.  Unfortunately, an article about the event may have contributed to the false accusation that it was a drag event. The headline read Fury at 'Drag act for BABIES': Semi-naked man in thigh high boots performs bondage routine in front of tots and parents at 'sensory event'  

However, nothing in the article identified the event as a drag show.  Even the phrase "drag act for babies" doesn't appear anywhere in the article. The publication in which the article was published, The Daily Mail, has been called out on more than one occasion for its questionable sources and lack of accuracy. 

According to Media Bias Fact Check:

. 

The Daily Mail tends to publish stories utilizing sensationalized headlines with emotionally loaded wordings such as “Woman, 63, ‘becomes PREGNANT in the mouth’ with baby squid after eating calamari”, which is a misleading headline. In 2017, Wikipedia banned the Daily Mail as an ‘unreliable’ source. When it comes to sourcing information, they use minimal hyperlinked sourcing and sourcing to themselves. Further, a Reuters institute survey found that 26% of respondents trust their news coverage and 47% do not, ranking them #11 in trust of the major UK news providers. In general, most stories favor the right; however, the Daily Mail will report either side of the story is sensational enough.

Below are several other examples of how the far right have misrepresented incidents to demonize drag queens. These outbreaks of wanton hysteria would be funny except for the fact that they have contributed to the violent climate against drag shows and oppressive laws against the LGBTQ community at large.

Related posts, articles:

Taken out-of-context video fuels ugly lie about drag queens 'grooming' children

Drag performer sues far-right blogger alleging defamation over edited video 

BUSTED! Far right caught spreading false story that a drag queen exposed self to children 

Candace Owens can't even tell a good lie. Far right personality busted using fake photo of 'drag queen' 

Babylon Bee editor Seth Dillon caught spreading false story about a child tipping a half naked drag queen 

Silly conservative 'activist' doesn't know the difference between drag queens, drag kings, and strippers