(TotalConservative.com) – The GOP in Montana has had enough of so-called “drag queen story hour,” the practice of having drag queens appear at schools and libraries, passing new legislation to ban these events.
On Monday, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed HB 359 with more than half the state legislature cosponsoring the bill that will ban the attendance of minors at any event with explicit orientation, including drag queens reading to or performing in front of minors.
According to the bill, any school or library receiving state funding is prohibited from allowing explicitly oriented performances “or drag story hour” on the institution’s premises during normal operating hours or at any extracurricular activities sanctioned by schools.
The bill also states that adults who knowingly promote, conduct, or participate as a performer in such events may be sued by any minor in attendance; action may be brought against them by a parent or legal guardian in the name of the minor.
The bill’s sponsor, GOP Rep. Braxton Mitchell, said that he doesn’t believe there is such a thing “as a ‘family-friendly’ drag show.” Mitchell said he only sponsored the bill because in recent years drag shows “have been specifically aimed at children,” which he believes is “damaging” to their psychology and welfare. He described events with drag queens reading to children as a “sick agenda.”
A Republican-dominated House passed the legislation by a vote of 66-33 earlier this year. Democrats, of course, opposed the bill, with Minority Leader Kim Abbot stating she would “object” to any comparisons of drag performances to grooming children into being comfortable with explicit behavior. Democrats also attempted to alter the bill by replacing any reference to the word “drag” with the phrase “adult-oriented performance.”
The issue of drag queens reading to children is becoming a contentious one in America, and in many places, such as NYC, the local government sponsors drag queen story hour events with taxpayer money.
Copyright 2023, TotalConservative.com
