Iowa Republicans are taking a firm stand in defense of the protection of children with a newly advanced bill that would make it illegal to bring minors to drag performances.
House Study Bill 158 aims to shield children from exposure to inappropriate and highly sexualized content often found in drag shows, which left-wing activists have increasingly targeted toward young audiences.
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Under the bill, any adult over the age of 18 who brings a child to such an event could face a class “D” felony, carrying penalties of up to five years in prison and fines ranging from $1,025 to $10,245. Additionally, businesses that allow minors to attend these performances—including so-called “story hours”—could face fines of $10,000.
The bill defines a “drag show” as any performance in which a performer “exhibits a gender identity that is different than the performer’s gender assigned at birth” through clothing, makeup or other “gender signifiers.” This includes instances where a performer sings, lip-syncs, dances, reads or otherwise engages in entertainment before an audience.
Opponents, including far-left activists, claim the bill is overly broad and could criminalize any public appearance by individuals identifying as transgender. Protesters gathered outside the vote on Tuesday, chanting slogans such as “trans rights” and “drag is not a crime.”
Republican Rep. Helena Hayes assured concerned citizens that the bill will be refined to ensure that legitimate artistic performances remain accessible to families, while still preventing ongoing attempts to indoctrinate children with radical gender ideology.
This article originally appeared on American Faith, and is reposted with permission.
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