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Yes.
The Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution officially recognizing drag performances and cultures as a form of free speech.
The resolution was presented by Council President Andrea Jenkins, who became the first Black openly trans woman elected to public office in 2017. Jenkins stated that the resolution responds to anti-trans and drag legislation across the nation and aims to combat homophobia and anti-queer sentiment in Minneapolis.
Jenkins also spent time briefly covering the history of drag performances dating back to the 1880s with performances by William Dorsey Swann, the first publicly known drag performer.
According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, 79 “anti-trans” bills have been signed into law nationwide so far in 2023, while 11 have been vetoed.
Tennessee and Montana have specifically regulated drag performance, though a judge in June ruled Tennessee’s law unconstitutional.
A bill classifying drag as adult entertainment has been introduced in the Minnesota Legislature but has gone nowhere under DFL control.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources:
- City of Minneapolis Drag performance and culture honorary resolution (2023-00667)
- FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul Minneapolis City Council adopts ‘Drag performance and culture’ resolution
- Smithsonian About William Dorsey Swann
- Internet Archive What anti-trans bills passed in 2023
- AP News Montana first to ban people dressed in drag from reading to children in schools, libraries
- CNN Tennessee anti-drag show law deemed ‘unconstitutional’ by Trump-appointed federal judge
- American Civil Liberties Union Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in US State Legislatures
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