Drag shows with children are not illegal.
A lot of folks seem to be confused about the new law created with the passage of House Bill 1423. Perhaps because of inaccurate reporting, many believe the law bans drag performances in the presence of children. It does not.
Since the bill became law, I have received calls from people, including one from a state legislator, asking for GPD to enforce the new law in venues that have hosted drag shows for years. In response, I have had to explain that there is nothing inherently illegal about a drag show, even if children are in the audience.
The Bill created Florida Statute 827.11 prohibiting the exposure of children to adult live performances, which by definition involves nudity or certain sexual conduct. As The Gabber newspaper recently pointed out in their Hard Candy column, “a legit drag show has zero nudity and zero sexualization.” This means that, unless the performers are taking their clothes off or engaging in sexual activities or specific lewd behavior, children are welcome to participate.
Under the new law, any adult live performance, drag or otherwise, may not expose children to the content. GPD will investigate any complaints where sexual or nude exhibitions are taking place with minors in attendance. We will not, however, assume that any given drag show is about sex. If you call to report a violation, be prepared to answer specific questions about the unlawful nature of a performance. If you cannot describe anything that is against the law, we will not send officers to interfere with the show.
For reference, here is the complete language of the new law:
