Your Week in Metro Detroit: Drag queens get political pushback
Good morning Free Press subscribers,
We're talking about criminalizing drag shows in Michigan politics this week.
I'm Dave Boucher, and as a government and politics reporter with the Free Press, it's my job to explore policies proposed by the powerful and their possible impact on real people. At a time when political candidates can choose to highlight their stance on any number of issues — gun rights, gas prices, inflation, COVID-19 and many more — at least two Republican gubernatorial contenders now pledge to pursue changing the law to make it a crime for an adult to involve children in drag performances.
These promises come after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joked about "a drag queen in every school," a quip that garnered substantial attention from her GOP opponent, Matt DePerno, and national media. It also follows concerted efforts, both locally and nationally, to criminalize or criticize the LGBTQ community.
Too often, political coverage focuses on who might be leading in a certain race and not on the real people whose lives may be upended by policies a particular candidate proposes. So I decided to speak with some performers and advocates about why drag queens have become a key talking point in state and national politics.
Two performers, Raven Divine Cassadine and Jezebel, told me why they love drag. They discussed the community, the fun and the broad capacity to show someone feeling deserted or desperate that they are not alone. A Metro Detroit librarian who organized Drag Queen Storytime for local kids told me about her fears that such events may be illegal in the future. And a national expert walked me through our nation's history with attempts to regulate or stymy LGBTQ expression, indicating why more recent efforts may resonate with some voters.
None of them were surprised by the political pushback to drag. But each emphasized why they believe drag performers and shows are crucial to our culture.
This story is about a community that is frequently the subject of attack by conservative politicians. The piece explains the views of several of these political candidates in Michigan. But more broadly, for anyone who's never been to a drag performance or might be skeptical about attending one, this piece offers details about what to expect from a show and why many in your community or state might oppose efforts to criminalize such performances.
Thank you for reading and supporting the Free Press. I can be reached at dboucher@freepress.com
Dave Boucher
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Drag queens get political pushback
