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3mo ago

Florida Attorney General Subpoenas Vero Beach Vice Mayor Over Pride Drag Show Inquiry

He demands detailed records from Moore’s bar by August 8 after alleging that the all-ages June Pride Tea Dance exposed children to sexualized drag performances.

A protester makes a sign during a protest in San Francisco. Drag performances have because a flash point in culture wars, particularly in Florida where a local official is under investigation for possibly exposing children to a sexualized performance. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
FILE - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks during a meeting between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state cabinet at the Florida capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, file)
Kilted Mermaid, a neighborhood craft beer and wine bar, in Vero Beach, Fla.
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Overview

  • The subpoena issued July 8 requires Moore to hand over surveillance videos, guest lists, reservation logs, performer contracts, employee schedules and age-verification documents.
  • Linda Moore, Vero Beach’s vice mayor and co-owner of the Kilted Mermaid, says the annual all-ages Pride Tea Dance splits into a family-friendly portion and an adult-only drag show with no nudity.
  • Attorney General James Uthmeier alleges the June 29 event featured “adult, sexualized performers in front of children” but has not specified which state law Moore may have violated.
  • Jennifer Pippin, leader of a local Moms for Liberty chapter, filed a complaint after posting social media images of children at the event, prompting the statewide investigation.
  • Florida’s Protection of Children Act remains blocked by a federal injunction and the legal battle returns to trial in the Middle District of Florida after the 11th Circuit upheld the blockade.