Lawmakers in Ohio are attempting to put an end to child drag performances after footage emerged of a nine-year-old “drag queen” accepting money from adults as he danced for their entertainment.
Republican state representative Tim Schaffer has introduced a new bill that would make drag performances illegal for “a child under eighteen years of age or a mentally or physically handicapped child twenty-one years of age.
The bill would update Ohio’s current child endangerment laws to prohibit parents from putting on performances with their kids that “appeal to prurient interest.”
If the bill is passed, offending parents of children performing in drag could face up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.
“Given our heightened focus on human trafficking and the role money plays in trafficking children, I knew I had to take action to make sure this activity does not occur again,” Schaffer said.
“We can do better to protect innocent children and we must do better.”
Naturally, popular LGBT+ magazine Pink News lamented the bill, re-tweeting an older report and warning their followers: “Just a reminder that Republican lawmakers want to make child drag shows illegal.”
