Today history is made in America as more than 300 drag queens and allies stormed Florida’s state capitol to protest the actions of Governor (and Presidential candidate) Ron DeSantis imminent signing of one of the most anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-drag bills in America. The large crowd rode buses from many cities from across the state to Tallahassee and met at Cascades Park. In polished pumps, a sea of red t-shirts that read “The show must go on”. The queens marched more than ½ a mile to the Capitol building carrying clever and poignant signs of the state of our state. Upon arrival in the capitol rotunda you heard an impromptu chant that is likely going to be heard across the USA. This march, which organizers believe to be the largest demonstration by drag performers in Florida history, comes a week after state lawmakers voted to advance bills that would criminalize transgender people’s use of the bathroom that aligns with their identity and ban doctors from providing gender-affirming care. Critics of this Florida legislative session argue that this may also be the worst in Florida history for the LGBTQ+ community. Lawmakers passed bills that allow health care providers to refuse people care based on religious beliefs and ban the use of personal pronouns not aligned with gender at birth in Florida schools. One bill appears to specifically target drag performers, barring children from attending “adult live performances” featuring certain commonly used prosthetics. The bill’s language has sparked questions about the future of Pride. Angelique Young, a Tampa Bay drag performer, was one of today's organizers. She said “What started as wanting to speak on behalf of entertainers quickly became a fight for (everyone in) the LGBTQ+ community.” Many at The Queens March said they had no ability to change DeSantis' super majority so there was no chance of changing minds today. But one Drag Performer said of the sights today at the capitol…. “Isn’t this how the 1969 Stonewall Riots Began? Overwhelming Odds against us. Add Drag Queens. Add Trans People. Add Queer People. Then a fight for what was right and what was wrong?” Queer News Tonight would like to thank Fort Lauderdale’s Lips Restaurant and Drag Queen Amanda Austin for her assistance in today's historic news
300 Drag Queens And Allies Storm DeSantis Controlled Florida State Capitol For ‘The Queens March’
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- Tags: Bills, Drag, Florida, Ron Desantis, Tallahassee
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