An “all ages” drag show in Florida has drawn the attention of the DeSantis administration, and the Florida governor says an investigation has been opened.
“Drag Queen Christmas,” a traveling show that has been performed in multiple states, includes an act called “Screwdolph the Red-Nippled Reindeer” in which explicit simulated sex occurs. In another part of the show, a man walks around with exposed fake breasts framed in a box. Reporter Tyler Hansen attended one of the performances, publishing videos to back up the descriptions.
When the show made its way to Florida, activist Chris Nelson attended and called out one of the drag queens during the performance. That led to this scene as reported by The Floridian.
According to local activist Chris Nelson, the Show” A Drag Queen Christmas” displayed “sexually explicit” to attendees, including a handful of minors, several he says looked as young as 10 years old.
Nelson told The Floridian that the show and its “actors” stuck to the script of showing simulated sex acts to minors, even acting out that famous childhood story, “Screwdolph the Red-Nippled Reindeer.”
When Nelson opposed one of the show’s performers by yelling out, “This is not right. It is not right for children to be at this thing,” Nelson was signaled and told to leave the show.
“After noticing MULTIPLE children in the audience at the explicit Drag Queen Christmas in Ft Lauderdale I called out performer Nina West for inviting and allowing children to come to her sexually explicit shows,” stated Nelson.
Nelson was eventually asked to leave by sheriff’s deputies that were apparently acting as some kind of security for the event. The show took place in Broward County, one of the most liberal areas of Florida.
Outrage grew after Nelson posted the video online, and now, DeSantis has responded. His press secretary put out a statement saying an investigation has been opened and noting that exposing children to sexually-explicit activity in Florida is a crime.
It appears this initial investigation is going to focus on the owners of the venue, and that is probably the most direct legal path to holding someone accountable. The closest comparison would be a strip club advertising as “all ages” and inviting children in.
Still, I wonder whether things end there or if the drag show itself is targeted as well. After all, it’s the show and its performers that are ultimately exposing these children to sexually-explicit content, in violation of the law in a state like Florida.
Regardless, it’s good to see DeSantis taking action and exploring what power he can exercise here. These shows have happened in other Republican-led states (including Texas) and their governors have sat on their hands. It’s not really surprising to see DeSantis once again leading the way, though.