Bill would jail parents who take children to drag shows

A new bill moving through the Iowa legislature could make it a felony for parents to take their own children to a drag performance — potentially landing them in jail for up to five years. The measure, House Study Bill 158, passed out of a House subcommittee this week, drawing fierce criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates who argue its sweeping language could criminalize far more than drag shows.

The bill’s wording is so broad that it could apply to any performance featuring a transgender person, even if the event itself is not a drag show. Under its provisions, any show involving a performer wearing clothing or makeup “different than the performer’s gender assigned at birth” could be restricted. This includes performances that involve singing, dancing, reading, or any other public entertainment.

Opponents warn that this could extend to classic theatrical productions, movies, and even public speaking engagements by transgender individuals. Maxwell Mowitz, an advocate with the LGBTQ+ organization One Iowa, testified before the subcommittee, stating that the bill could effectively ban children from attending events where he speaks because he is a transgender man.

“I’m a transgender person,” Mowitz said, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. “I was assigned female at birth, but I dress and live as a masculine person. So this bill targets me.”

Mowitz also pointed out that the legislation’s vague language could impact whether children are allowed to see works of art that depict gender nonconformity. Films such as Mulan and Mrs. Doubtfire, or Shakespearean plays like Twelfth Night, could be caught up in the law’s restrictions.

The bill would also imposes steep fines on venues. Any venue that allows minors to attend a drag performance could face a $10,000 penalty, and the venue owner could face felony charges.

Industry representatives warn the bill could devastate small theaters and community arts programs. Jim Obradovich of the Independent Venue Association of Iowa said that in small-scale productions, actors frequently play roles of different genders due to casting limitations, putting them at risk under the bill’s provisions.

Despite the widespread concerns, Republican lawmakers are pressing forward with the measure. GOP Representatives Helena Hayes and Heather Hora voted to advance the bill, while the lone Democrat on the subcommittee, Elinor Levin of Iowa City, opposed it.

Conservative supporters argue that exposing children to drag performances is harmful, though there is no evidence to support this claim. Danny Carroll of the Christian conservative organization Family Leader expressed dismay that the bill is even being debated. “It breaks my heart,” he said. “This is not the Iowa that I knew when I came here in 1971.”

Critics say that rather than protecting children, the bill is part of a broader effort to erase LGBTQ+ identities from public life. Republican-led legislatures in several states have pursued similar measures, with Tennessee passing a ban on drag performances in public spaces in 2023—though a federal judge promptly blocked it on First Amendment grounds.

As the bill moves forward, LGBTQ+ advocates in Iowa are vowing to fight back, arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent for government overreach and discrimination.