The Red Goose Saloon in Fort Worth held a Disney-themed drag brunch, which was open to minors. The venue holds weekly drag shows that allow children to attend, The Dallas Express reported. The bar hosts “Moondance Drag Brunch” at noon every Sunday, which is known for its lewd attire and burlesque dancing. The Dallas Express reported that one performer took a shot of alcohol in front of the audience and spoke in a sexual tone. According to Visit Fort Worth, “shows are recommended 16+ for some language and musical content” although there is no mention on the site about the shows being sexual in nature.
Texas Scorecard reported in March that Red Goose Saloon was asked by a Facebook user to consider making the event 18+. They reportedly told the person to “spread love, not hate and misinformation” and to not “police other people’s decisions.” Despite repeated outcry, the bar has no plans to change their policy of allowing minors to attend these types of shows.
In June 2023, the Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 12, which would make it a criminal offense for an establishment to host events with sexually oriented performances if minors are present. Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton said when he introduced the bill that drag queens are “perverted adults” who are “obsessed with sexualizing young children.” That appears to be the common assumption when there is outrage over a bill that will do absolutely nothing to restrict drag shows, other than to prevent minors from attending a show that is sexual in nature.
The bill is currently being held up in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas sued the state to halt the bill from taking effect. If the bill is allowed to go into effect, establishments will be fined up to $10,000 per offense if minors are in attendance.
LGBTQ+ groups as well as the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas argue that laws to protect minors violate constitutionally protected rights and that the bill “discriminates against the content and viewpoints of performances and imposes prior restraint on free expression.” It is not a human rights issue nor a constitutional issue to protect minors from attending shows that have always been meant for adults. SB 12 does not restrict drag shows or the “free expression” of performers in any way, other than preventing minors from being in attendance, which seems to be happening too often at The Red Goose Saloon.
It's time for the 5th Circuit to take up the appeal and put an end to events like these. And we hope to see laws like SB 12 implemented nationwide.
References:
Facebook. (2024, April 23). Red Goose Saloon. https://www.facebook.com/RedGooseSaloon
KXAN. (2022, June 6). Texas Lawmaker Proposes Banning Minors From Attending Drag Shows. https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-lawmaker-proposes-banning-minors-from-attending-drag-shows/
Texas Legislature Online History. (2023, June 18). SB 12. https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=88R&Bill=SB 12
Texas Scorecard. (2023, December 28). Texas appeals ruling that sexually oriented performances targeting kids are constitutionally protected. https://texasscorecard.com/state/texas-appeals-ruling-that-sexually-oriented-performances-targeting-kids-are-constitutionally-protected/
Texas Tribune. (2023, August 28). Drag Shows are Protected by First Amendment. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/28/texas-drag-bill-lawsuit-federal-hearing/
The Dallas Express. (2024, March 18). Cowtown Drag Brunch Open to Minors. https://dallasexpress.com/metroplex/cowtown-drag-brunch-open-to-minors/
The Dallas Express. (2024, April 21). Disney-Themed Drag Show Devolves Into Protest at Local Bar. https://dallasexpress.com/lifestyle/disney-drag-brunch-faces-protest-in-cowtown/?acuuid=377045&utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Disney-Themed%20Drag%20Show%20Devolves%20Into%20Protest%20at%20Local%20Bar&utm_campaign=04%2022%2024%20Newsletter%20weekly
Visit Fort Worth. (2024, April 23). Moondance Drag Brunch. https://www.fortworth.com/event/moondance-drag-brunch/35218/
X. (2024, March 24). Carlos Turcios. https://twitter.com/Carlos__Turcios/status/1772022376642838701