TULSA, Okla. — Governor Kevin Stitt signed into law House Bill 1217, on May 9, a bill that bans obscene performances by adults in public where children could be present.
2 News looked into the bill and got reaction from people both for and against the bill.
“We’re basically banning drag shows in front of kids," Governor Stitt said.
Public drag shows could soon be no more after a new law went into effect
The law prohibits performing sexually explicit or obscene acts in public where kids could be present. It does not specify what is considered obscene.
I spoke with two drag queens, Porshe Lynn and Porcelynn Turrelle, who are confused and concerned.
"It is extremely vague, which you know in our minds, to me, that's the most dangerous, because they have so much flexibility to define obscene," Turrelle said.
“What their definition of, you know, moral and obscene is, because it is so vague, so vague," Lynn said.
2 News asked Senator David Bullard, who authored the bill to get some clarity on the wording.
"Now, I've had people ask me, is it? Does it have something to do with, you know, men dressing like women? No, that's not it. It's a matter of the behavior that we see out of those things," Bullard said.
Porsche Lynn said they have never show any parts of their body that could be considered obscene.
“Well, I can tell you, as a drag queen, I have on five pair of pantyhose, pads, body suits. There's nothing on me showing but my hands and my face," Lynn said.
“But we're wearing five or six pairs of dance tights. We wear more coverage when we look like we're not than a girl in a bathing suit at the pool," Turrelle said.
The question now is whether obscenity will be decided by the state or will they leave it up to the cities, we asked state leaders.
"No, so we use an existing definition of what an obscenity is, as well as the behavior that they would be looking for. Now the municipalities would be there to police it and find out what that community standard really is for them," Bullard said.
Both Porcelynn and Porsche Lynn both say this is an unfair attack on their community.
“They're afraid for children to see happy, successful, well-balanced human beings at gay pride,” Lynn said.
“So, I feel like they're not necessarily trying to cut drag out completely, but they're trying to weaken our community, and they're trying to definitely slow the growth," Turrelle said.
Now anyone who violates the new law could face up to a year and jail and $1,000 in fines.
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