Tennessee is the first state to ban drag shows in public spaces. The new law criminalizes drag shows and classifies male and female impersonators as “adult-oriented performance” harmful to minors as defined in Tennessee’s obscenity law. Drag performers who perform in public venues will face being charged with a criminal offense punishable by a fine or jail time. Tennessee is not alone. There are dozens of bills moving through state legislatures across the U.S. that would ban drag performances under the falsehood of protecting children from predators. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently revoked an organization’s liquor license because it hosted a drag show. Moreover, these bills restricting public spaces do not differentiate between trans people and drag performers.

In the past two years, there has been an onslaught of state bills restricting LGBTQ+ rights that could have far-reaching consequences. For me this harkens back to unjust practices that led up to the Stonewall Rebellion of 1969 which galvanized the Gay Rights Movement. Police arrests of people not wearing what was considered as gender appropriate clothing was under the guise of violating the masquerade law, while police raids on bars serving LGBTQ+ patrons, who were deemed as disorderly by their mere presence, was under rule of the New York State Liquor Authority.

In part, this is why I wrote my musical play STORMÉ. I wanted to pay homage to the life of Stormé DeLarverie, the Stonewall Rebellion icon and male impersonator at the infamous Jewel Box Revue, America’s first racially integrated and gay-owned drag show. But I also wanted to acknowledge historical events pertaining to LGBTQ+ people and marginalized communities, because I believe in the adage “those who fail to learn from history” or “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.”

History will be repeating itself if more states ban drag. LGBTQ+ people are under attack and threat of being banned from public view. I am speaking also to the growing number of state bills restricting what schools can teach about American history, race, politics, sexual orientation, and gender identity, which increased 250% from 2021 to 2022, reports PEN America. In 2022, over 1,800 books with LGBTQ+ content were banned in more than 5,000 public schools.

Law enforcement is just that, the enforcement of laws be they just or unjust. My concern, my fear is that we are heading toward an era of police arrests and brutality of LGBTQ+ people for violating laws that restrict our culture and our history. I don’t think I am overreaching when I say it’s time to “Ring The Alarm!”