A look inside the drag show that Tennessee lawmakers want to shut down.
During an Easter Sunday all-ages, family-friendly brunch at the Memphis bar and restaurant, host Bella DuBalle returned to the stage against a new backdrop that read “Drag is not a crime.” | Photos by Houston Cofield for POLITICOLaura Testino is a reporter in Memphis, Tenn., who writes about education and general news. Find her other Memphis coverage in Chalkbeat, The Commercial Appeal, The Tennessean and USA Today.
“So as I told you a long time ago, when this thing first started: We aren’t going anywhere, y’all,” DuBalle said. For now, drag performances can evade the law’s scrutiny due to an extension of the order. Once that extensionhowever, first-offenders would face a misdemeanor, while any subsequent violations would be a felony. Although the law doesn’t explicitly ban drag shows, its broad language could leave performers like DuBalle at risk.
Sunday morning’s drag brunch is often fully booked, with room for a few wandering tourists. Following the 12:30 p.m. brunch show is a few rounds of bingo.Award-winning drag queen Miami Rose prepares for the Sunday show, where she shed her wig during her first performance of the afternoon, set to Lizzo’s “2 Be Loved.”
“Now, I’ll tell you, I have been doing drag for 10 years now, but I will never forget,” DuBalle told the crowd as she garnered cheers for a drag queen new to the art. “Leaving the house in a wig and heels the first couple of times is terrifying. It do take nerves.” In response to the legislation, Atomic Rose general manager Charlie Bernett said, “Want to protect children? Do something about all these guns killing them every day.”
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