Montana has become the first state in the union to ban “drag story hour” for children at public schools and libraries.
The state’s Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the new bill on May 22 after the legislature passed it.
The legislation (pdf), which went immediately into effect, was written to prohibit minors from attending “sexually oriented shows” and watching obscene performances on public grounds.
The new law defines a drag queen as “a male or female performer who adopts a flamboyant or parodic feminine persona with glamorous or exaggerated costumes and makeup,” while a drag king is a performer who adopts a flamboyant male persona.
It further defines “drag story hour” as “an event hosted by a drag queen or drag king who reads children’s books and engages in other learning activities with minor children present.”
Gianforte signed the bill because he “believes it’s wildly inappropriate for little kids, especially preschoolers and kids in elementary school, to be exposed to sexualized content,” spokeswoman Kaitlin Price said in a statement.
The Treasure State initially introduced a similar bill to Florida and Tennessee that banned sexualized drag performances with kids present but narrowed its focus specifically to protect students in schools and libraries.
The drag story hour shows have been accused by many parents of being “groomer” events that endanger the well-being of their children.
The Montana legislation is unique, as it defines drag events as being specifically hosted by a drag performer who reads children’s books to minors and does not require a sexual element to be banned.
The Florida and Tennessee bills both require the performances to be sexual in nature, which could be up for interpretation and leave them open to legal challenges.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican State Rep. Braxton Mitchell, said he wrote the legislation “because drag shows in recent years have been specifically aimed at children.”
Mitchel spoke about online videos that show children at drag shows. “In my humble opinion, there’s no such thing as a family-friendly drag show,” Mitchell told NBC News in April.
Drag performers who opposed the legislation said they have separate drag performances for children compared to those intended for adults.
Republicans and others have long opposed drag queen performances targeted at children since exposing minors to sexually mature content is considered widely inappropriate for those at that age.
It is not fully known how often drag reading events have been held at public schools or libraries in Montana.
Drag performances were held in 2022 at ZooMontana, in Billings and another at a bookstore in downtown Helena, while a show at a Bozeman bookstore last weekend also drew protesters.
All three events drew protests but would not be banned under the new law, as they were held on private grounds.
Gianforte had signed a bill earlier this year to ban sex changes for minors in Montana.
Transgender lawmaker, Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who calls himself a woman, was expelled from the House floor during a legislative session after he loudly protested against Republican lawmakers who had silenced him over his opposition to the child sex change bill.
Meanwhile, gay and transgender advocates decried the law as an attack on their community.
“Montana’s new law criminalizing freedom of expression and art should be a red flag for everyone. The moral panic of drag has too long been a scapegoat for transmisogyny and overall transphobia in this country,” Jonathan Hamilt, the executive director of Drag Story Hour, told CNN.
“Uncle Sam needs a makeover, and our drag community is here to create one,” said Hamilt.