DeSantis Goes After Foundation for Lewd Drag Show Event With Children Present

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) is the culture warrior we need these days. He has pledged to protect the children of Florida, and he is making good on his promise.

Last December, an event called “A Drag Queen Christmas” took place at venues in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando. The show was part of a national tour, and despite the repeated claims that the event was “family-friendly,” it was loaded with graphic sexual content.

You’ve been warned if you click on the first video in this tweet.

In this performance men with kink harnesses grab their privates, grind, and simulate humping.

The Drag Queen talked to a 9 year old named Major and then addressed the mother of the child.

“You are such an awesome mom for bringing your kid out to a FAMILY FRIENDLY DRAG SHOW”. pic.twitter.com/ez5Trs4Do9

— Tayler Hansen (@TaylerUSA) December 15, 2022

At the Dec. 26 show, one local activist interrupted the proceedings to shout that children shouldn’t be present.

After noticing MULTIPLE children in the audience at the explicit Drag Queen Christmas in Ft Lauderdale I called out performer Nina West for inviting and allowing children to come to her sexually explicit shows! pic.twitter.com/3XA4qqV0IR

— Chris Nelson 🇺🇸 🏝 (@ReOpenChris) December 27, 2022

Javier Manjarres of The Floridian documented both the lasciviousness of the show’s content along with the fact that minors were present at the performance.

WARNING: Sexual Content.

Shortly after the run of performances, DeSantis’ Press Secretary Bryan Griffin issued a statement:

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) is aware of multiple complaints about a sexually explicit performance marketed to children held in Fort Lauderdale on December 26th. The Department is actively investigating this matter, including video footage and photographs from the event. DPBR will, like in other cases, take action.

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.

The Department will share any collected evidence with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for potential criminal liability.

The Department frequently conducts investigations into these matters upon tips provided by the public, and we thank the public for continuing to bring attention to these incidents. Investigations of such allegations will remain a priority for the Department and, indeed, are ongoing.

And last week, DeSantis made good on his pledge. Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DPBR) has filed a six-count complaint against the Orlando Philharmonic Foundation, Inc. for hosting the event in Orlando on Dec. 28 while children were present. The complaint could cause the venue where the drag show took place to lose its liquor license.

The 27-page complaint reads in part, “On December 28, 2022, Respondent hosted and supported a ticketed event titled ‘A Drag Queen Christmas’ (‘the Show’) on the Licensed Premises and sold alcoholic beverages to patrons in attendance. Respondent promoted the Show using targeted, Christmas-themed promotional materials that did not provide notice as to the sexually explicit nature of the Show’s performances or other content.”

The state adds, “Rather than call attention to the Show’s sexually explicit content or acknowledge that it might not be appropriate for children, Respondent’s promotional materials unequivocally stated ‘[a]ll ages welcome.'”

The Floridian reports that “whatever plausible deniability the show has to defend itself is a barely-visible piece of paper taped to a door reading, ‘while we are not restricting access to anyone under 18, please be advised some may think the context is not appropriate for under 18.'”

The state claims that, prior to the shows, it warned the foundation that “[s]exually explicit drag show performances constitute public nuisances, lewd activity, and disorderly conduct when minors are in attendance” and that if the foundation “failed to ensure that minors were prohibited from attending such performances, its license would be subject to penalties up to and including revocation.”

Naturally, the Democrats and their accomplices in the mainstream media are going after DeSantis for protecting kids. State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani (D-47th district) went after the governor in a tweet thread complaining about his “anti LBGTQ+ agenda.”

One congressman got in on the action. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) called the state’s actions “fascism,” tweeting that “Queer celebration is anything but obscene.” And left-leaning outlet The Raw Story headlined its coverage of the complaint, “Ron DeSantis retaliates against Florida venue that hosted drag show in December.”

All of this is proof that DeSantis is doing the right thing in going after venues that expose minors to sexually explicit content and fighting against the left’s drag obsession. Keep up the good work, Governor!

Here’s the complaint in full:

2023 02 03 Administrative Complaint 2022061146 Orlando Philharmonic The by PJ Media on Scribd