Friends of George’s, an LGBTQ theater company at the Evergreen Theatre, has filed a suit against the state of Tennessee regarding what is being called the “reckless anti-drag law.”
The organization announced on its Instagram page that the bill “imperils the lives of drag performers and seeks to oppress queer culture state-wide.”
“We believe that the act of drag challenges traditional societal structures while also providing a medium to connect with others in a celebratory and avant-garde manner,” the statement said. “We refuse to sit silently in the shadows while the government attempts to strip away our right to free speech and expression.”
The post said the suit is filed against the state of Tennessee in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.
The organization was founded in 2010, and according to Mark Campbell, president of Friends of George’s, is a drag-based theater company that hosts shows similar to Saturday Night Live, with lip-synch performances and occasional live vocals.
Drag has long been essential to the dramatic arts. Campbell says that in Shakespearean times, women were not allowed to perform in theaters, so men were cast in those roles.
Campbell says this bill is an attack on the LGBTQ community that considers drag an art form. With drag having such a heavy influence on theater, the bill has drawn criticism nationally as well, with groups like the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), a labor union representing live theatrical performances, rejecting the law and “lobbying for its elimination.”
“We want to be extremely clear that performing artists across our country are protected from government overreach by the First Amendment,” AEA said in a statement. “For centuries performers have worn costumes that society deems inconsistent with the sex they were assigned at birth.”
Many worry that this law will affect performances of shows such as Hairspray, Kinky Boots, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Actors who play these roles would be considered “male or female impersonators,” who are classified under “adult cabaret performances.” The bill says that such performances cannot be on public property and cannot be viewed by anyone who is underage.
Campbell explained that the shows performed at Friends of George’s heavily feature drag performers, male and female.
“This is basically a First Amendment case and our right to self expression, trying to dictate how someone dresses,” said Campbell. “If I, as a grown man, were to dress in the same manner as the Grizz Girls, and give the exact same performance, my performance would be illegal and deemed harmful to children, while theirs wouldn’t.”
While Campbell understands that the majority of the Tennessee legislature voted to pass the bill, he said that he does not believe that this is reflective of Tennessee residents.
“I know a lot of conservative people. People who vote for Republican presidential candidates and Republican legislators and stuff, but a lot of those people come to our shows, and bring their kids occasionally” said Campbell. “I’ve spoken to those people, and they’re as appalled as I am. They’ve seen what we do, and the creativity that we put into it, and the causes that we support, and I just hope that everybody will talk to their friends, tell them about us, and what it’s really about, and the self expression that we put into it.”