WASHINGTON – Today, Montana’s Senate Judiciary Committee considered HB359, a bill that seeks to prohibit “drag performances” in public spaces and label any establishment hosting a drag show as a “sexually oriented business.”
The bill’s broad language and far-reaching implications have sparked fierce opposition, as opponents argue it could target theater productions, the transgender community, Pride events, and beyond.
A representative from the local theater scene voiced concerns over the bill’s potential impact on plays such as Peter Pan, Rent, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Another witness warned that the legislation might even extend to Halloween costumes, illustrating the bill’s potentially sweeping consequences.
The bill, which has already passed the Montana House, would be the second drag ban enacted in the United States if it passes. Earlier this year, Tennessee passed a drag ban that used very similar language. That bill was blocked in court by a federal judge, who stated that he could see “at least three ways” in which the bill was likely to be found unconstitutional. Halloween Shirt White Men
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