BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A top Alabama lawmaker wants to keep schools and libraries from allowing drag performances in front of minors without their parents’ express permission.
House Majority Leader Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, along with four Republican co-sponsors, pre-filed for the upcoming legislative session House Bill 67. It says “a public K-12 school or public library shall not knowingly present or sponsor any drag performance in the presence of a minor without the consent of the minor’s parent or legal guardian.”
The bill comes after concern by some conservative lawmakers that libraries and schools could allow drag performances and provide materials that are objectionable to parents without parents’ knowledge.
The bill defines a drag performance as “a performance in which a performer exhibits a sex identity that is different from the sex assigned to the performer at birth using clothing, makeup, or other physical markers.”
Co-sponsors on the bill are Rep. Ben Harrison, R-Athens, Rep. Craig Lipscomb, R-Gadsden, Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City and Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island.
Brown said there was previously an instance of a library in Mobile hosting a story time for children featuring a drag queen.
“It’s essentially grooming young children and over sexualization and exposing them to things they don’t need to be exposed to,” Brown told Alabama Daily News on Thursday. “Childhood is an innocent time and it’s something that needs to be protected.”
Alabama Daily News asked state Superintendent Eric Mackey if he’d received complaints or concerns about a drag performance in a K-12 school.
“To my knowledge, I’m not aware that we’ve had anything like that,” he said. “And I would not approve of it if there were.”
In addition to regulations for drag performances, HB67, would also prohibit minors of the opposite sex from sharing any type of living quarters, including multi-occupancy bathrooms, changing facilities or sleeping quarters unless the individuals are part of the same family and the parent has given permission.
This provision appears to come from a controversy in March where a parent complained about a transgender employee working at Huntsville’s Space Camp. Space and Rocket Center officials assured parents that no staff members were allowed to be alone with students behind closed doors.
Multiple threats were made against the employee, according to Space Camp officials. After an investigation that concluded there was no evidence of misbehavior by any Space Camp staff with regards to student campers, the employee was transferred.
The legislative session starts Feb. 4.
Alabama Daily News’ Mary Sell contributed to this report.