It seems to us there is a simple solution to drag shows in our community.
We don't think the solution needs to involve any new legislation, resolutions or laws forbidding such shows. It needs to involve only the organization staging the shows, the host venue and what used to be a community standard for the likes of bars, adult clubs and X-rated movies -- no one under 18 admitted.
If in fact members of the LGTBQ community aren't looking to entice younger people as they say they are not, why would such a community standard be a problem? Why also would host venues have a problem with enforcing such a standard?
Somewhere in this country's past, it was determined that 18 years was the age of consent. People were considered adults at 18 -- eligible to serve in the armed forces, vote, buy a firearm, publicly consume an alcoholic beverage (when some of us were younger), marry, buy certain magazines.
We all know that some people can handle any or all of the above at a younger age and some people can't handle any or all of the above if they are 10 or 20 years older than 18. But 18 became the standard, a line drawn for the community but a line drawn across the country.
Certainly, the secularization of the country and the attempted sexualization of the country have made inroads and attempts to change such national standards, especially with what's openly available digitally for free and for pay, but we need limits, especially where our most vulnerable citizens are concerned. If parents won't enforce those limits, the community should.
We see no problem with venues hosting drag shows, for gay and/or straight audiences, if the shows are for adults only. That age limit can easily be made clear in any advanced publicity about the shows, and can be enforced at the door.
In light of two local drag shows that were said to be family friendly during a weeklong LGTBQ celebration organized by Chattanooga Pride, members of the community expressed concern and outrage at the Chattanooga City Council meeting on Tuesday and the Hamilton County Commission meeting on Wednesday.
Some may have misunderstood a video posted about one of the events in which it appeared a child ran her hands along the sequined front of a performer's costume, some may have been concerned about what are termed family friendly drag shows and some may be disturbed that drag shows are even performed locally.
The video, though, depicted a biological female who dresses as a Disney princess as part of her job and not a man dressed in women's clothing and makeup.
Drag, generally speaking, is a gender-bending art form in which a person dresses in clothing and makeup to exaggerate a specific gender identity, usually of the opposite sex, and is often used for self-expression and celebration by LGTBQ individuals. And it should not be confused with dressing as the opposite sex to convey humor in the manner of the late Milton Berle, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon in the 1959 movie "Some Like It Hot," or Robin Williams in the more recent 1993 movie "Mrs. Doubtfire."
Whatever concerns brought members of the public to the two governmental bodies, though, members of the LGTBQ community said they had received death threats and otherwise hateful comments after the aforementioned video was widely shared.
That should outrage all Chattanoogans, gay or straight. A threat of violence, especially associated with an issue that easily could be worked out amicably, is unnecessary, intolerant and unwelcome.
But so is a broad-brush comment like that made by Noah Corbin, president of the Chattanooga Pride board, who said "a majority of people calling for a ban [on drag shows] are also against mandated vaccines, mandated masks and many other issues that have similar parallels that speak to a person's ability to choose what you do."
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, people on both the political left and right were supportive of and violently opposed to health mandates, the same as they are against children attending drag shows.
Nevertheless, we would hope that in 2022 Chattanooga is diverse enough to afford drag shows for adults who prefer that type of entertainment and caring enough for its most vulnerable citizens that they not be subjected to what is clearly adult entertainment.