Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, who secured the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, has defended drag shows, asserting they are "wholesome entertainment" and stating she has attended them with her children. Nixon expressed confusion over restrictions on minors' access to drag performances during an interview on the Legal AF podcast.
"I believe it was today or yesterday, the appeals court upheld that, the law that basically we call ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ that the biggest provision that everybody’s most familiar with is that it makes it illegal for anyone under 18 to be at a drag show," criminal law expert Melba Pearson stated during the podcast, appearing to link Florida's Parental Rights in Education law with the Protection of Children Act, which restricts minors' access to drag shows. Pearson added, "So basically it’s criminalizing drag in a lot of ways, right?"
Nixon responded to these remarks by characterizing the restrictions as an "attack on an 'othering' of people who don’t look like Donald Trump" and "an attack on marginalized communities." She argued that proponents of such laws desire a country with a specific appearance, behavior, and belief system.
Describing drag shows, Nixon said, "I don’t understand, like, there’s no sexualization at a drag show! It’s just people dressing up and singing and performing! I’ve taken my children to drag shows, and it’s fun! It’s entertainment. It’s wholesome entertainment and it’s nothing wrong. It’s just like, I don’t get it."
Theo Wold, former assistant attorney general, contested Nixon's characterization, telling Fox News Digital that "drag has always been sexualized entertainment — that’s why it originated in bars and nightclubs in front of adult audiences." He suggested that candidates supported by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) aim to "destabilize Western civilization" by undermining legal systems and the nuclear family.
Jaimee Michell, founder of Gays Against Groomers, called Nixon's statements "dangerous" lies. "There is no shortage of video of drag performers in pasties, thongs, or barely-there costumes grinding, twerking, and simulating sex in front of children — including babies and toddlers — while those kids are encouraged to stuff dollar bills into their outfits," Michell said. She characterized such performances as adult sexual acts, not wholesome entertainment. Michell further stated that drag is inherently sexual and a "hyper-sexualized parody of women." She added that Nixon taking her children to these shows demonstrates poor judgment, and that Florida's law aims to protect minors from "nearly nude adults collecting tips."
Nixon, a progressive activist and DSA member, defeated Alexander Vindman in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat. She will face incumbent Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in the November general election.