The proponent of the law, Republican Chris Todd, was shocked when he saw drag queens perform during a Pride celebration in the city. Full of conviction that this was an instance of "child abuse" he introduced the law, in his own words to protect the children in Tennessee.

The law sees drag queens and kings as “male and female impersonators” who fall under the category of adult entertainment that also includes gogo dancers and strippers. The law prohibits these kinds of performances in public spaces and in places where a minor might come. In addition, the law calls drag “harmful” to children. A majority of the Tennessee House of Representatives supports the initiative.

The law still has to go to the Senate, but the chances of it being passed are high. Republicans hold majorities in both houses of the state legislature.

Tennessee is the first state to ban drag performances, but other states are also on the verge of removing this artistic expression of the LGBT+ community from public spaces. A similar proposal has been made in Texas, where places where drag queens perform would be classified as “sex clubs.”