Cheyenne Roche: We're not protecting them from the real killer
Sep. 14—Earlier this year, Tennessee became the first state to outlaw drag — an art form dating back centuries and a vital part of LGBTQ culture and history. Since then, Montana joined its ranks and four other states have a law about "adult" performances that could be used to target or restrict drag.
A proposed bill in the Iowa Legislature would make it illegal for minors to be present at drag performances. Senate File 348 creates penalties for adults bringing a minor to a drag show, as well as for the businesses hosting them.
The bill defines a drag show as one where a performer who exhibits a gender identity different than what they were assigned at birth "sings, lip-syncs, dances, reads or otherwise performs before an audience for entertainment."
In high school, we performed a play called "Leaving Iowa." Ironic since I have since arrived in Iowa. The play features a scene with a male and female employee of a restaurant.
My friend Alison had to play the male character during one audition scene, and she created a slumped, goofy character with a funny, deep voice. The directors liked it so much, they cast her as the male and a boy named TJ to play the waitress. The scene was hilarious. Everyone loved the juxtaposition of the two actors.
Under this bill, that performance would be banned as both performers exhibited a different gender identity than what they were assigned at birth and performed before an audience for entertainment.
I don't believe this is what the bill is targeting; however, its broad verbiage could cause parents and schools to be fined for innocent performances. The bill also insinuates that someone portraying themself as a gender other than the sex assigned to them at birth is somehow inappropriate.
The UCLA school of law reports 1.6 million transgender Americans over the age of 13, and nearly one in five of them are aged 13-17. What message does it send this 1.6 million Americans when we can't even stand the sight of someone performing as a different gender?
I attended the Iowa Drag Brunch Bingo with the newsroom ladies earlier this year at Hot Air Brewing. The language was vulgar, the dancing was seductive and the overall performance was not suitable for children.
But guess what? It's not a show for children. The performers require you to be 21 to attend. They know it's inappropriate, and they only allow adult audiences.
Let's remember — not one single state has banned strip clubs. Did you know strip clubs aren't suitable for children? Yeah, they do too. Somehow the men in charge of our country haven't been upset with them staying in business.
Ms. Cherry Peaks with Iowa Drag Brunch recently shared her experience living in rural Iowa.
"My husband Delton Lyden and I have had a rough time since moving out to a rural community," she wrote. "Things we never imagined would happen, a bullet shot through our window, direct death threat, bullying and harrassing, a lack of enforcement or regard from local law enforcement who are supposedly here to protect us. Through all of this we have remained strong and found strength in each other."
When I moved here, I felt the "Iowa Nice." People jumped to grab doors when my hands were full. People were polite and kind to me. I wonder how I would have been treated if I had been an obvious member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Drag isn't the only thing being targeted. Hundreds of books are being banned, specifically for LGBTQ themes. I recently read "Mad Honey" by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, a young adult book featured on many banned books lists.
Florida, governed by president-hopeful Ron DeSantis, passed a new law last year to review reading materials made available in classrooms, and the state announced the removal of 92 books from its schools. Among the 92 was "Mad Honey," and 19 other books by Picoult.
The books is not sexual. The book is not graphic or violent. The book is about a transgender girl and the struggles she endured as she tried to simply navigate her life in her truest form. That's why the book is banned. Because it portrays being transgender as being human. Because it doesn't fit the narrative.
"They're books that are to encourage kids to think for themselves," Picoult said. "They're at a high school library. It's worth saying that. This is not an elementary school library."
According to The Trevor Project, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24, and LGBTQ youth are four times as likely to attempt suicide than their straight counterparts.
Up until 2013, only ten years ago, the LGBTQ+ "panic" defense was a legal strategy where defendants charged with violent crimes weaponize their victim's real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity/expression to reduce or evade criminal liability.
People could actually be acquitted of murder simply because their victim was a part of the LGBTQ community.
Kids are not dying from books or drag queens. The real killer comes from discrimination, hate and ignorance.
