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Conservative Republicans have made no bones of the fact that they consider drag queens, trans people and other members of the LGBTQ+ community the greatest evil facing modern society. Recently, Republicans in Harrisburg have jumped full bore on the anti-LGBTQ bandwagon.
The most recent Pennsylvania legislator to join the war against LGBTQ+ people is State Rep. Robert Leadbeter (R-Columbia County). On Feb. 24, Leadbeter released a co-sponsorship memo seeking support for a bill he intends to introduce in the current session of the General Assembly, titled “Felony of the Third Degree for an Individual Allowing a Minor to Attend a Drag Show.”
Leadbeter’s memo explains what the bill will do, and the rationale behind it. It reads, in full:
“In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation to provide that an individual commits a felony of the third degree if the individual allows a minor to attend a drag show. Under current law, it is an offense for an individual to commit any act that tends to corrupt the morals of a minor. The phrase ‘tends to corrupt’ has been defined by Pennsylvania courts to generally mean any act that would offend the common sense of the community and the sense of decency, propriety and morality which most people entertain. To avoid any ambiguity as to whether taking a minor to a drag show constitutes the offense of corruption of minors, my legislation will explicitly provide that such conduct is proscribed under the laws of this Commonwealth.
“Many drag performances feature sexually suggestive themes, provocative outfits, and explicit language. I believe that allowing any minor to attend such sexually charged and adult-oriented entertainment is exploitative and results in the premature sexualization of children. Indeed, numerous studies have demonstrated the significant health and behavioral impacts that exposure to sexually-explicit content can have on children, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and a permissive attitude towards casual sex. My legislation aligns with existing public decency laws and seeks to uphold traditional family values and parental rights.
“Please join me in cosponsoring this important legislation to protect our children from misguided and dogmatic ideologues.”
According to Pennsylvania statute, penalty for a felony of the third degree is a fine of not less than $2,500 nor exceeding $15,000, or imprisonment not exceeding seven years, or both for each charge.
Leadbeter includes with his memo references to a number of scholarly articles — none of which have anything to do with drag shows. Mostly they are about studies on the excessive use of internet pornography by young adults.
As described in the memo, the bill would criminalize almost all displays of drag, be they performative or just someone going to the corner store. Drag queen storytimes, whether in a library or a church, would be a felony, as would drag at Pride parades and festivals, since children are now a common sight at such events.
At least nine other states have attempted to pass similar legislation, such as Tennessee and North Dakota. However, legal scholars have criticized such efforts, mostly — but not entirely — on Constitutional grounds.
When it is introduced, Leadbetter’s bill will almost certainly be referred to the House Judiciary Committee. Philadelphia State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta is part of the Democratic majority of that committee.
In a statement to PGN, Kenyatta commented on Leadbeter’s anti-drag crusade: “My grandmother always said, ‘It’s better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.’ Right now, Pennsylvanians are watching their 401(k)s plummet as the stock market continues to free-fall. Medicare and Medicaid are at risk. The dismantling of the Department of Education threatens millions of dollars and critical school positions for our children. If Rep. Leadbeter actually cared about our children and families, he’d be speaking out on these real challenges instead of fabricating fake issues. This bill has zero chance of becoming law, and I’ll stay focused on the real issues that matter.”