Officials from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation are investigating a Christmas-themed drag present touring the state, alleging the present is a “sexually explicit performance marketed to children.”
The occasion, known as “A Drag Queen Christmas,” occurred on the James L. Knight Center on Tuesday as a part of a nationwide tour that stopped in Fort Lauderdale on Monday and has stops scheduled in Orlando and Clearwater this week.
In an announcement, the press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated the division is actively trying into the exhibits – together with utilizing video footage and images from the occasion to see if kids have been there.
“Exposing children to sexually explicit activity is a crime in Florida, and such action violates the Department’s licensing standards for operating a business and holding a liquor license,” Bryan Griffin stated.
Dozens of individuals representing an area Catholic group have been readily available to protest the occasion Tuesday whereas counter-protesters confirmed up in assist of the occasion.
“It’s really gotten out of hand. It’s a really satanic situation. It is to pervert our children and we cannot permit that,” one protester stated whereas a supporter stated they have been on the occasion for “form of self defense and community defense.”
The investigation comes after the state of Florida barred transgender kids from receiving hormones or present process surgical procedures to deal with gender dysphoria below a rule authorised in November by state medical officers on the urging of DeSantis.