DeSantis Administration Investigating Holiday Drag Show

By    |   Thursday, 29 December 2022 11:25 AM EST ET

(Newsmax)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is investigating a Christmas drag show accused of being indecent for children.

The show, "A Drag Queen Christmas," was performed this week at venues in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

"The Department of Business and Professional Regulation is aware of multiple complaints about a sexually explicit performance marketed to children held in Fort Lauderdale on December 26th," state officials said in a statement tweeted by Bryan Griffin, DeSantis' press secretary.

"Exposing children to sexually explicit activity is a crime in Florida, and such action violates the Department's licensing standards for operating a business and holding a liquor license."

The statement added that DBPR will share "any collected evidence" with law enforcement.

A spokesperson for the Broward Center of the Performing Arts (BCPA) in Fort Lauderdale,  Florida, said the venue as of late Wednesday afternoon had not been contacted by state officials, The Hill reported.

A BCPA spokesperson, whose venue could be at risk of losing its liquor license and its ability to operate as a business in the state, said Monday's show was limited to patrons 18 years or older, unless accompanied by a parent.

Before Tuesday's show in Miami, the state notified the venue that, "in short, if you allow children to attend the Drag Fans drag show at your facility, you are putting your license in jeopardy."

"They put on a good show, but would I bring my 10, 4, let alone 2-year-old daughter to the event?" Javier Manjarres, a writer for the Floridan, told WSVN after the Miami show.

The drag show was scheduled to appear at the Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation on Wednesday night.

DBPR Secretary Melanie Griffin sent an email to the foundation saying that minors should be barred from the upcoming performance, which is "of a sexual nature."

Attempts to crack down on drag performances also have been seen in Texas and Tennessee.

Tennessee Republican state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson last month introduced a bill to include events with "male or female impersonators" and "adult cabaret performances" on a list of adult-oriented businesses prohibited from operating within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks or places of worship, The Hill reported.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is investigating a Christmas drag show accused of being indecent for children.
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Thursday, 29 December 2022 11:25 AM
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