Montana First State to Ban Drag Performers from Reading to Children

Montana's new law bans drag performers from reading to children at schools and libraries without requiring a sexual element.
The law limits free speech and seeks to chill an effort to support transgender youth, according to LGBTQ advocates.
Drag performers argue that not all drag performances are sexual in nature and that they tailor shows for children separately from those for adults.
Republican legislators in Montana aim to protect children from "sexualized content" and believe drag shows are inherently obscene, according to supporters of the new law.
Bills with similar goals in Florida and Tennessee face legal challenges because they require performances to be sexual in nature to warrant a ban.