The first hearing on the matter was held in the Ohio House on Tuesday (*7*)HB245which would ban drag queen performances in venues other than “adult cabaret.”
The bill specifically mentions drag queen performers, referring to “performers or performers who demonstrate a gender identity other than the performer’s or entertainer’s sex assigned at birth, by means of clothing, makeup, prosthetics or imitations of genitalia or breasts or other physical characteristics.” Depending on whether the event involves a minor or the performance is deemed “obscene,” which is not further defined, individuals could face criminal charges.
Tuesday’s 18-minute hearing before the House Criminal Justice Committee featured sponsor testimony: Reps. Angela King (R-Celina) and Josh Williams (R-Ore.) provided statements and asked several questions of their colleagues.
At one point, Rep. King had to pause, visibly choking up as she recalled a drag queen performance that took place in her local Celina community in western Ohio.
Here are 7 of the most memorable quotes from today’s hearing.
1. “We have forgotten to let children be children and not burden them with the worries, concerns and social problems of adulthood.”
-Representative. King, not to mention that so much of LGBTQ+ students’ worries and concerns stem from adults in the legislature proposing bills that threaten their very existence.
2. “I want to live by the words, ‘Ohio is a great place to raise a family.’
-Representative. King, not to mention that so many Ohio families have had to consider leaving the state because Ohio’s Republican legislators are overly focused on interfering between parents and their transgender children’s health care decisions.
3. “HB 245 simply enacts important measures to protect children from exposure to adult-directed cabaret shows that contain adult themes, images, and performances.”
-Representative. Kinga, in a statement that is simply untrue. Representative Williams he said An ordinary trader in July that he finds Drag Story Hours obscene. “It’s a woman in bad makeup reading to a child,” he said. “It’s a show [that] demonstrates a different gender in the presence of a child for the sole purpose of desensitizing” children to the dragging of the performers.
4. “This bill does not in any way change the current definition of obscenity under Ohio law nor does it in any way change the current definition of material harmful to minors. Instead, it simply applies these standards to indecent public performance.”
-Representative. Bill Seitz (Cincinnati), in a statement that is also simply untrue. This law does not only apply to public performances. The bill specifically added language relating to drag queen performers, expanding the definition of “obscenity” by targeting the transgender community.
5. “This is based on the Miller test, which establishes the difference between legal artistic expression and free speech and what is obscene.”
-Representative. Williams. The Miller test came up frequently during this brief hearing. It is a completely subjective tool, as evidenced by Williams’ recorded statements in which he believes that hours of drag queen history are obscene.
6. “I am aware of several district court cases that reviewed provisions that I believe are very similar to HB 245. These courts held that the provisions were unconstitutional in various respects, including that they contained unconstitutional restrictions based on content, unconstitutional point of view – based on limitations and unconstitutional because they are too vague and broad. These cases come from very red states, including Texas, Tennessee and Montana. Do you know these cases?”
-Representative. Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester), emphasizing that HB 245 does not have a radiant future.
7. “We say that these categories of performances are illegal only when they rise to the level of obscenity. It is based on the behavior of the performer.”
-Representative. Williams, responding to Representative Brown. Once again, MP Williams is applying a subjective litmus test here… the same MP Williams who believes that drag queen hours, during which fully clothed drag queen performers read children’s books to children and hand out free children’s books to them, and promote literacy , are obscene events. 🔥
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