Dear Editor
I’m a senior citizen and lgbtq ally. I am outraged by so much injustice, but just want to focus on the anti-lgbtq, particularly anti-trans legislation criminalizing drag queens/performers. I see another set of folks who’re not aware that this legislation hurts them and their legacies left to their descendants.
I’m thinking of the cisgender, straight folks who’ve participated in the past in “womanless” beauty pageants and weddings, as well as other drag performances. Fred Mills, a pharmacist and Republican lawmaker in Louisiana’s legislature has recently had his reputation and credibility smeared and his business harassed. Mills voted against against the LA ban on gender affirming care and in retaliation, conservatives are viciously targeting him as a “groomer”, based on his comedy sketches done in drag as part of his business advertising. Mills is cisgender, straight, heterosexually married.
It made me realize that anyone, no matter their political affiliation, sexuality or gender identity, could conceivably become targeted as Mills was, based on published accounts of their participation in a southern-cultural “womanless” wedding or beauty pageant. We’ve had the latter years ago in my southern community. It was a fundraiser for the local high school chorus. I was recently given a hard copy of the community newspaper’s article on the event with the names of prominent men as contestants (some, like the owner/publisher of the community newspaper, are registered Republicans).
I happen to be a Salem witch trials descendant and know the victims were convicted, imprisoned or executed based on fabricated accusations. People who explore their ancestry search for and find online newspaper articles featuring their ancestor’s name. What if years from now, descendants of those drag performers in womanless events find those articles? What narrative will they use to interpret their ancestor’s participation in such events? Will they think these events were all in fun and harmless family entertainment or will the current Republican fabricated accusations of “groomer”, adult entertainment, and engagement in child-sexualizing activity stick? I can see these articles being used against people, as was done to Fred Mills, during their lifetimes and after their demise. I think this needs to be stressed as a part of the harm these anti-lgbtq obscenity laws are doing or have the power to do.
Thanks for your time,
Susan Jaquith
Category: Letters To The Editor
