Montana has become the latest state to pass legislation aimed at limiting access to sexually orientated shows for minors.
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has signed a law that specifically bans drag performers from reading to children at public schools and libraries. Governor Gianforte’s spokesperson, Kaitlin Price, said in a statement that the governor finds it “wildly inappropriate for little kids, especially preschoolers and kids in elementary school, to be exposed to sexualized content.”
Montana bill HB359 defines “drag story hour” as “an event hosted by a drag queen or drag king who reads books and engages in other learning activities with minor children present.” It also gives a legal definition to “sexually-orientated performance,” defining it as any performance that “is intended to appeal to a prurient interest in sex and features.”
Any individual that violates this new law will be subject to a fine between $1,000 – $5,000. Repeated offenses will result in a business license being revoked.
Montana’s decision to ban “drag story hour” is a direct response to the rising trend of drag performances to children. The Twitter account @libsoftiktok has posted numerous examples over the last few years of schools, libraries, and community groups hosting reading shows for children specifically performed by drag performers.
Governor Gianforte has received heavy backlash for his recent string of bill signings that are being described as “attacks on the LGBT community” from the left. He also signed into law a bill that gives defines the word “sex” in state law as a binary term with only male or female options. This law gives legal definitions to both “male” and “female,” defining them both as biologically-based and determined by a person’s chromosomes.
Gianforte’s decision to sign these bills prompted many news outlets to point out that the governor himself has a child that identifies as non-binary. David Gianforte, the governor’s son, has expressed opposition to the state’s recent number of so-called “anti-trans legislation.”
This piece first appeared on TPUSA.
