Hannah Bleau
The sexually explicit drag show prompting an investigation from Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) was, in fact, marketed to “all ages,” according to the show’s website.
Bryan Griffin, press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), released a statement regarding the drag show on Tuesday and said that DBPR was made aware of “multiple complaints about a sexually explicit performance marketed to children held in Fort Lauderdale on December 26th.” As a result, the agency is “actively investigating the matter.”
“DPBR will, like in other cases, take action,” the statement reads, adding that “exposing children to sexually explicit activity is a crime in Florida, and such action violates the Department’s licensing standards for operating a business and holding a liquor license.”
Screwdolph the Red Nippled Reindeer was performed at last night’s Drag Queen Christmas in Ft. Lauderdale with kids in the audience. Pretty much everything you saw on @TaylerUSA’s thread. pic.twitter.com/ssfe4zE8Nc
— Chris Nelson ?? ? (@ReOpenChris) December 27, 2022
“The Department will share any collected evidence with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for potential criminal liability,” it added.
GRAPHIC
Mayor of Knoxville, TN attended “Drag Queen Christmas” which was open for “all-ages.”
The show is by a group on tour throughout the US. Their shows feature exposed buttholes, simulated sex acts, & oversized fake exposed breasts.
Elected officials are promoting this. pic.twitter.com/60rLNhrVGL
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 23, 2022
While critics contend that the show was not specifically “marketed to children,” the drag show’s website specifically states that “All our events are ‘All Ages Welcome’ unless otherwise noted on the marketing, the ticket or the venue website in each local city.”
Nothing on the flier indicates that children should not attend the event, which featured a sketch from “Screwdolph the Red Nippled Reindeer”:
According to that same attendee, children were, in fact, present at the Fort Lauderdale event:
After noticing MULTIPLE children in the audience at the explicit Drag Queen Christmas in Ft Lauderdale I called out performer Nina West for inviting and allowing children to come to her sexually explicit shows! pic.twitter.com/3XA4qqV0IR
— Chris Nelson ?? ? (@ReOpenChris) December 27, 2022
The stop in Fort Lauderdale was just one of many as part of its national tour. The Democrat mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, attended one of the drag shows, bragging about it on social media:
Independent journalist Tayler Hansen attended one of the shows, in Austin, Texas, and described what he saw. That included “tits in a box,” simulated sex acts, and explicit story time:
This performer paraded around with his “tits in a box” and shook his buttocks for the crowd.
At one point the Drag Queen said “are you reaching for my titties are you hungry” to a child in the audience.
Throughout the Drag Queen talking he had multiple people spank him. pic.twitter.com/7WrGDcv3bH
— Tayler Hansen (@TaylerUSA) December 15, 2022
DBPR also issued a warning to the Orlando venue hosting the event on Wednesday, instructing them to ensure that minors are “prohibited” from the show.
“If minors are allowed to attend this drag show, the Department will take any and actions available to ensure that you do not pose a threat to minors in the future,” the letter read in part.
