TOLEDO, Ohio — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed House Bill 9 into law last Thursday, making it the first state in 2023 to restrict drag show performances in public. LGBTQIA+ members in Toledo say they are concerned.
Sugar Vermonte has been performing drag for decades and has made a name for herself in the Glass City and nation thanks to her bold mac-n-cheese-truck, Maybe Cheese Born with It.
"It's nonsensical," Vermonte said. "More kids have been harmed eating Tide pods than by a drag time story hour. Come on now, this is just silly."
He said the bill is vague and subjective in how it determines what counts as drag or what is inappropriate.
"Who's going to walk down the street, and be like, 'I think that pink t-shirt you have on may be drag,'" Vermonte said.
Scot Henshaw, vice chair of Equality Toledo, also has experience with drag. He said the bill plays into Tenessee's indecency code. But like Vermonte, he wants to know who makes the judgment call about what is indecent.
"It could also target members who are non-binary as well as the trans community," Henshaw said. "And then further lead to further attacks and public outcry."
Members of the trans community, like Nikki Orlowski, worry if she could be arrested for presenting as a woman and she said it could even affect events like Pride festivals.
"There would be no Pride because there would be no drag queens or drag queens there," Orlowski, a Toledoan, said. "This is our lives and our identity. This is my identity, it's not a costume. I can't take it off."
Henshaw said no matter what, they are going to continue to keep fighting against the legislation. Drag queens are a foundation in the LGBTQIA+ community, he said.
Vermonte said being able to be an inspiration for others to find themselves is important, but bills like the one in Tennessee could harm that.
"To have a chilling effect on that, that's not good for any kid. Kids should be inspired, not limited," Vermonte said.
Vermonte does not think a similar bill in Ohio would realistically be passed but said if one does happen to go into effect, she will not make it easy for lawmakers.