UPDATE: The House State Affairs Committee tabled House Bill 1125, legislation that would prohibit performances such as drag shows in the presence of minors.
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House Bill 1125 would prohibit performances such as drag shows in the presence of minors.
The ACLU of South Dakota opposes House Bill 1125. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and expression, no matter what you are wearing. It’s discriminatory and unconstitutional to single out male and female impersonators in a bid to shut down their speech. We don’t want the government deciding which types of theater and entertainment are allowable and which aren’t beyond what is already an established constitutional norm.
This is, fundamentally, a parents’ rights issue. Parents can decide whether their children are allowed to attend a drag event or not the same way they decide in the home what movies are appropriate to watch.
