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A Texas state legislator announced his intention Monday to introduce a bill that would ban minors from attending drag shows in the state.
State Rep. Bryan Slaton, a Republican who represents a House district just east of Dallas, said in a press release that his proposed legislation comes after footage went viral over the weekend showing children attending a drag show at Mister Misster, a gay bar in North Dallas.
Protesters showed up at the “Drag the kids to pride” event Saturday afternoon, which was billed as “a family friendly drag show.” The organizers called it a spin-off of their Champagne Drag Brunch that would allow kids to dance with performers on stage, according to local WFAA.
Videos later emerged on social media of drag performers at the event taking dollar bills from children, dancing with them and walking down the aisle in the center of the room, which was emblazoned with a neon sign that read: “It’s not gonna lick itself!”
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“The events of this past weekend were horrifying and show a disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children,” Slaton said. “As a father of two young children, I would never take my children to a drag show and I know [Texas House Speaker] Dade Phelan and the rest of my Republican colleagues wouldn’t either.”
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LGBTQ rights supporters gather at the Texas State Capitol to protest state Republican-led efforts to pass legislation that would restrict the participation of transgender student athletes on Sept. 20, 2021, in Austin, Texas.
(Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images)
“Protecting our own children isn’t enough and our responsibility as lawmakers extends to the sexualization that is happening across Texas. I promised my voters that I would stand up for their values and fight to protect Texas kids,” Slaton continued.
“I promised my voters that I would stand up for their values and fight to protect Texas kids. I was re-elected on that promise and I intend to keep it by authoring legislation to defend kids from being subjected to drag shows and other inappropriate events. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation,” Slaton added.
Visitors walk around outside the Texas State Capitol building on July 12, 2021, in Austin, Texas.
(Sergio Flores/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Slaton’s office told Fox News Digital that the state lawmaker has engaged in productive conversations with a number of his Republican colleagues about the bill, and that he expects it to pass when the Texas Legislature meets again.
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Slaton has also come out against gender transition for minors, writing a letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) in August 2021 urging the agency to classify mastectomies, chemical procedures and psychological counseling that affirms non-biological sex as child abuse.
