JIM SHARPE

Arizona is being dragged down with anti-drag threats and laws

Feb 21, 2023, 2:00 PM | Updated: Feb 22, 2023, 12:25 pm
(Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)...
(Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

The FBI and Tempe Police are investigating an alleged bomb threat that forced a shop in Tempe called Brick Road Coffee to cancel a “Story Hour” Sunday with a group called “Drag Story Hour Arizona.” 

Yup, it was reading time with a “him” dressed as a “her.” (That is, if I’m allowed to describe anybody, anymore, as anything other than “them” or “they”…?)

I may be a little confused about which pronouns to use, but somebody was not confused about how to protect children from the abomination of a dude in a dress reading books about Black History Month (the planned reading material) — and they’re so convinced they need to “protect” kids, that bombing them is a viable option.

Most people know that keeping kids away from drag performers by threatening violence is wrong.

But there’s also a problem with keeping kids away from drag queens — by force of law — like some Arizona legislators hope to accomplish. The problem with their proposed laws revolves around determining what is — and what isn’t — “drag.”

It’s easy to craft laws that keep kids out of strip clubs: You ban them from places where performers remove clothing that exposes their (*ahem*) naughty bits. But maintaining the illusion of a man being a woman (the essence of “drag”) requires that those naughty bits remain covered.

I appreciate state lawmakers trying to protect my children, but that’s my job and enforcing these proposed laws would be more than a tiny bit problematic. 

One proposed bill from this legislative session would prevent drag shows from happening in public where children might see; another limits the days and hours when drag shows can be performed; and a third bill doesn’t ban drag shows — nor forbids parents from taking their kids to drag shows, it just bans taxpayer money from being used to fund drag shows that target children. (Maybe we can ban taxpayer money from going to fund any drag shows?)

The problem with all of these bills is: How do we determine who is in drag — and who isn’t? How do we check if somebody gallivanting in a dress and makeup is a man: the definition of drag? Will these bills fund the new Arizona Department of Drag Determination?!

And, what constitutes a drag show? Many classic comedians have put on a dress for laughs. 

In fact, one local guy dressed in drag specifically for a kid’s TV show!

So … how many people do you think Pat McMahon screwed up through the years by playing Aunt Maude on the old Wallace and Ladmo show? His job, while in that character, was to read stories to kids — in drag

Next time I see him, I’ll have to ask Pat how many bomb threats they got.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Jim Sharpe

Former Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Karie Lake attends the National Prayer Breakfast ...
Jim Sharpe

Ridicule is appropriate, but Kari Lake also should pay a price

KTAR host Jim Sharpe worries about the Republicans who believe Kari Lake’s claims that fellow Republicans helped cheat her out of the governorship.
7 days ago
Consumers apply face masks as they stand in line for Sephora at the Arrowhead Towne Center on June ...
Jim Sharpe

3 years on, can we ever recover from COVID’s crazy?

Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, KTAR host Jim Sharpe wonders if the craziness that followed will ever end.
16 days ago
Kari Lake, Republican candidate for Arizona governor, speaks on stage at the Conservative Political...
Jim Sharpe

Why Kari Lake should tell Katie Hobbs to get a face tattoo

To ensure a fair election, KTAR News host Jim Sharpe has an outlandish idea: Kari Lake should insist Katie Hobbs get a face tattoo so the electorate can tell Hobbs apart from her twin sister.
8 months ago
(Twitter Photo/@RepAndyBiggsAZ)...
Jim Sharpe

Andy Biggs, Italian satellites and other GOP lunacy came out of Thursday’s Jan. 6 hearing

What came out of Thursday's Jan. 6 hearing -- including the claim U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona asked for a presidential pardon -- has KTAR News host Jim Sharpe believing some Republicans should be happy Donald Trump lost.
9 months ago
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)...
Jim Sharpe

How did fewer Arizona drivers equal more road rage?

KTAR News host Jim Sharpe is peeved since road rage incidents in Arizona seem to be climbing despite fewer drivers on the road.
12 months ago
(AP Photo/David Goldman)...
Jim Sharpe

Too many ‘mental’ members in Arizona Legislature

KTAR News host Jim Sharpe wonders why Republican Arizona Legislature members continue to push bills that propagate the idea there was widespread election fraud in 2020.
1 year ago

Sponsored Articles

(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...

Here’s what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.
...
Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.
(Photo via MLB's Arizona Fall League / Twitter)...
Arizona Fall League

Top prospects to watch at this year’s Arizona Fall League

One of the most exciting elements of the MLB offseason is the Arizona Fall League, which began its 30th season Monday.
Arizona is being dragged down with anti-drag threats and laws