Montana prohibited drag queen story hours in publicly-funded libraries and schools in a law signed on Monday.
This makes the state the third to enact a law surrounding drag performers, which H.B. 359 defines as a "male or female performer who adopts a flamboyant or parodic feminine [and male] persona with glamorous or exaggerated costumes and makeup." Minors are also prohibited from attending drag shows on public property. As long as a drag performer, as defined by the law, is present, the law applies to story hours no matter if there is a sexual element or not, which makes Montana's law unique.
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The law was co-sponsored by a majority of the Republican-controlled legislature and was initially pursued as an attempt to prohibit minors from all drag shows, but was ultimately adjusted.
Businesses that violate the law could face a fine anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000 for the first offense, between $2,500 and $5,000 for the second offense, and $10,000 for the third offense, with a 10-year statutory limit. Schools and libraries would be fined $5,000 for each story hour held.
Drag Story Hour, a national organization dedicated to reading and drag performers, does not currently have a Montana chapter. There are only 19 state chapters, plus one in Washington, D.C. The organization did not respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.
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"In my humble opinion, there’s no such thing as a family-friendly drag show,” the bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Braxton Mitchell, told the Associated Press.
This comes a week after Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) signed a bill into law that will ban TikTok from operating within its borders, making it the first state to ban the app completely.