The Assault on Drag: What's Happening and Why Is It Being Banned?

from The Parting Shot with H. Alan Scott

For the past year or so, there’s been a spotlight on drag in the United States, and not just because of the popularity of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ From state to state, legislators have been introducing and implementing legislation that would restrict drag performers from many facets of life, particularly in the presence of children. Is it legal for legislators to do this? Is this just a culture war issue Republicans are using to boost their profile in the 2024 presidential election? And what impact will some of these laws have on particularly vulnerable communities like transgender Americans? Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott invited Kristal Knight of ‘The Kristal Knight Show’ to discuss the politics of it, and Nina West from ‘Drag Race’ to discuss how this is impacting the LGBTQIA+ community.   Listen to ‘The Rise in Attacks on Drag Queen Story Hour’: https://art19.com/shows/the-parting-shot/episodes/76415bee-26fb-472d-8912-1ff2afb63e87 Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What this episode covers

For the past year or so, there’s been a spotlight on drag in the United States, and not just because of the popularity of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ From state to state, legislators have been introducing and implementing legislation that would restrict drag performers from many facets of life, particularly in the presence of children. Is it legal for legislators to do this? Is this just a culture war issue Republicans are using to boost their profile in the 2024 presidential election? And what impact will some of these laws have on particularly vulnerable communities like transgender Americans? Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott invited Kristal Knight of ‘The Kristal Knight Show’ to discuss the politics of it, and Nina West from ‘Drag Race’ to discuss how this is impacting the LGBTQIA+ community. Listen to ‘The Rise in Attacks on Drag Queen Story Hour’: https://art19.com/shows/the-parting-shot/episodes/76415bee-26fb-472d-8912-1ff2afb63e87 Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.