Forever In Blue Jeans, Babe 👖

A Texas lawmaker says his push to classify drag shows as sexually oriented performances is meant to protect children from inappropriate content. But he says it wasn’t sexual when he wore a dress as a teenager for a school project. https://t.co/RxDEMQ8slO

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 4, 2023

A plan never survives its first contact with reality.

But Schatzline’s bill doesn’t distinguish between sexually explicit drag shows and a man wearing a dress to perform in a theater, bar, nightclub or other commercial business. Schatzline was unavailable to answer questions sent by The Texas Tribune this week. 

Schatzline’s HB 1266 is one of four bills filed by a handful of Texas Republicans that take aim at drag shows. The legislation would broaden which establishments are considered sexually oriented businesses. The bills want to include any establishments that allow performers to wear clothes or makeup that exhibit a “gender identity that is different than the performer’s gender assigned at birth.” Under that definition, Schatzline’s performance — wearing a dress for entertainment purposes — would be defined as drag. 

So far, none of the bills define what kinds of clothes or makeup lawmakers consider to be exhibitive of which gender. The lawmakers also haven’t explained why clothes or makeup make someone’s appearance sexual. 

In a response to questions sent by the Tribune, Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, said in a text message, “Some new language may be coming next week.”

Alamo Drafthouse serves alcohol with the movies. Does this mean a Monty Python film showing would make Drafthouse subject to one of these bills (there are four in the hopper)?

Personally I always found Carol Cleveland far more sexual than any of the boys in drag.

And what about “Annie Hall”? Diane Keaton: drag, or fashionable? (If you’re old enough you remember that movie set off a brief fashion trend.)

And why can women wear men’s clothes, but men can’t wear women’s clothes? I’m surprised nobody’s complaining about women in pants and jeans. For that matter, why can women take men’s names (Chris; Beverly; Leslie; Madison), but men can’t take women’s names?

Isn’t this just another identity issue? A fear for the sense of self when men act like women (because, you know, women acting like men is kinda hot. And I mean “acting” in entertainment, not ordinary life. Though I think the psychological identity issues are strongest there.). I know these legislators (across the country) are trying hard to make drag=porn to escape the 1st amendment, but I really don’t think they’re going to get anywhere.

Not until you can explain why Diane Keaton in “Annie Hall” is not in drag. Because it sure was a good look at the time.

Drag? Or not? (Yes, the definition of drag being offered as law is impossible to enforce.)