The Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs passed two bills restricting drag queen performances in the presence of children.
The bills passed in a vote of 6–2 on March 27.
Senate Bill 12 would restrict sexually-oriented performances, including drag shows, on public property or businesses where children are present (pdf). The other bill, Senate Bill 1601, would deny public funding to libraries that host drag story hours for children (pdf).
“All of us can agree that children shouldn’t be exposed to sexually explicit material,” said Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes, who authored the pair of bills, during a committee hearing on March 23. “This material can take various forms and print and visual media, as well as live performances.”…