Utah House committee unanimously advances bill targeting drag shows

A Utah House committee unanimously advanced a bill Tuesday that supporters say clarifies existing law governing sexually explicit performances in public spaces — a measure critics say is an effort to restrict drag shows and LGBTQ+ events.

House Bill 114, sponsored by Rep. Colin W. Jack, R-Cedar City, passed out of committee on a voice vote after more than an hour of testimony and discussion. The bill is titled Adult Oriented Performance Materials Amendments and creates a new, standalone criminal statute for certain live performances deemed pornographic or harmful to minors.

Supporters repeatedly emphasized that the legislation does not create new prohibitions, but instead reorganizes existing statutes to make them easier for law enforcement to understand and enforce.

“Currently in law, it is illegal to perform in front of or include children in pornographic or lewd performances,” the sponsor told the committee. “That’s already in statute now. What this bill does is make it clearer for everyone — law enforcement or performers — where the line is.”

Under the bill, provisions related to live performances are separated from statutes governing the distribution of pornographic materials. The new section mirrors existing penalties and adds a clarified legal standard requiring that a performer act intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly with regard to the presence of a child.

Daniel Strong of the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, which helped draft the legislation, said Utah law already goes “about as far as one could go without infringing on the First Amendment.”

“If a performance meets the legal definition of obscenity or pornography, it is not protected by the First Amendment,” Strong said. “If it doesn’t meet that test, it remains protected speech. That is not changing under this bill.”

Strong acknowledged that similar proposals in past years raised constitutional concerns, but said this version was narrowly built to reorganize existing law rather than expand it.

Despite those assurances, some public commenters expressed concern that the bill could be used to target drag performances or LGBTQ+ visibility in public spaces.

Cameron Whiting, a Logan resident, warned that vague language around what is “harmful to minors” could criminalize drag shows or even “being gay in public.”

“If a parent brings their kid to Pride or to a drag show, that’s their choice as a parent,” Whiting said. “Laws like these could criminalize drag shows.”

Supporters countered that the bill relies on long-established legal definitions rooted in U.S. Supreme Court case law and includes exceptions for material with serious artistic, political, or literary value.

“This is not about targeting any one group,” said Alexis Ends, a Washington County resident and parent of four who testified in favor of the bill. “It’s about protecting children and making sure our laws are clear and consistently applied.”

Multiple supporters cited incidents in southern Utah, particularly St. George, where they said large public performances raised concerns, though were difficult for law enforcement to address under current statutes.

After adopting a substitute version of the bill, the committee voted unanimously to send HB 114 to the full House for further consideration.

The bill now moves to the House floor, where it is expected to face additional scrutiny amid broader nationwide debates over drag performances, LGBTQ+ expression, and public morality laws.