MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A bill designed to prohibit drag performances at public schools and libraries advanced in the Alabama Senate Committee on County and Municipal Government Tuesday, amid opposition, and after being modified to narrow its scope.
The bill is being carried by House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, and presented in committee by Sen. April Weaver, R-Brierfield. As originally written, it would prohibit any public school or library from presenting or sponsoring a drag performance in the presence of minors without the explicit consent of parents, though it does not carry any criminal penalties.
Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, the chair of the committee, announced that he had drafted an amendment to the bill he intended on introducing after receiving a wave of calls from concerned constituents.
“I’ve gotten a lot of calls from schools, specifically from theater organizations about how broad this particular piece of legislation is,” Elliott said.
“So some of the problems that I think the bill is trying to address are really occurring at libraries and aren’t necessarily occurring – at least not to my knowledge – at K-12 institutions. So what the amendment does is limit the effectiveness of this bill to where the problem is occurring, and that seems to be libraries.”
State Superintendent Eric Mackey previously told Alabama Daily News he was not aware of drag shows in public schools. Bill supporters have cited an instance of a library in Mobile hosting a story time for children featuring a drag queen.
Zephyr Scalzetti, argued during a public hearing that the bill, if passed, would see Alabamians routinely in violation of the new law.
“I am a transgender man, and under new law SB79, courtesy of Sen. Weaver, I have been legally redefined as a woman, and I would like to know what clothing can I legally wear to the Opelika Public Library,” Scalzetti said, referencing Weaver’s bill that codified the definition of men and women into law, signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in February.
“What articles of clothing constitute drag on my body? A dress is aligned with my gender at birth, but I doubt any of you would be very comfortable if I was standing here in a dress.”
Speaking in favor of the bill was Ted Halley, who previously underwent male-to-female transition surgeries and procedures from 2009 to 2011, but in 2021 detransitioned and had gone on to become a vocal advocate against transgenderism.
“Drag queen story hour, whether it’s in school or a library, is very dangerous,” Halley said. “…I have articles if you want it afterwards that say drag shows are grooming children to be transgender; transgenderism is extremely dangerous, it’s not reversible, I will never have my anatomy back.”
Sen. Marika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, said she and her sorority sisters frequent public libraries and put on performances, and in some cases have women playing male roles, which would constitute a violation under the bill.
Weaver reiterated that the bill would permit such performances, granted all parents of minor children present gave their consent.
The bill ultimately passed in a partisan split vote of 5-3. It now heads to the Senate, and because it was modified in committee, will also have to be concurred with by the House before being sent to Ivey’s desk for final approval.
Travis Jackson, who after the meeting could be seen marching in front of the Alabama State House holding an LGBTQ flag, called Tuesday a “victory” for those opposed to the bill, citing not only its scope being narrowed, but the additional steps now required for it to become law, giving opponents more time to speak out against the measure.