A Nebraska Democrat has introduced a proposal to bar minors from attending church events, such as youth groups, and punish adults who bring minors to such events.
Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt (D) advanced the amendment in the state Senate, claiming that she was just trying to “make a point about” legislation that would make it illegal for minors to attend drag shows and punish adults for bringing minors to drag shows.
“This is an amendment that I will use to make a point about the underlying bill, LB371, which bans all-ages drag shows. It won’t pass, I would withdraw it if it had the votes to pass. It’s a device to make a point. We need not clench nor worry,” Hunt wrote in a tweet.
This is an amendment that I will use to make a point about the underlying bill, LB371, which bans all-ages drag shows. It won’t pass, I would withdraw it if it had the votes to pass. It’s a device to make a point. We need not clench nor worry. https://t.co/aUgwBtN1QG
— Senator Megan Hunt (@NebraskaMegan) January 28, 2023
“People are making a lot of the fact that I’m just trying to bring some levity to my work. Wow,” she added in a follow-up tweet.
People are making a lot of the fact that I’m just trying to bring some levity to my work. Wow ❤️ https://t.co/WdpLoqXvPg
— Senator Megan Hunt (@NebraskaMegan) January 31, 2023
The bill that Hunt is making “a point” about would punish both individuals and businesses for allowing minors to attend drag shows, which was proposed following numerous stories about disgusting and inappropriate drag events featuring adult males appropriating female stereotypes in outlandish ways while dancing suggestively and even stripping in front of minors.
This is what a “family friendly” drag show looks like. Drag queens spreading their legs for little kids to tip them. pic.twitter.com/Byf7jd6xi2
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 14, 2022
“No individual under nineteen years of age shall be present at a drag show. Any person nineteen years of age or older who knowingly brings an individual under nineteen years of age to a drag show shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor,” the legislation states in part. “No individual under twenty-one years of age shall be present at a drag show if alcoholic liquor is being served at such location.”
The bill also states that businesses, establishments, or nonprofit organizations that host a drag-related event but fail to follow the age-limit rules will receive a $10,000 fine per violation, while the owner or officer of the entity is “guilty of a Class I misdemeanor” if they knowingly allow an individual below the age limit to attend a drag event.
Meanwhile, Hunt tried to compare those inappropriate events to religious events — writing in her amendment that minors will be barred from attending “religious indoctrination camp,” which the amendment defines as “a camp, vacation Bible study, retreat, lock-in, or convention held by a church, youth group, or religious organization for the purpose of indoctrinating children with a specific set of religious beliefs.”
“The Legislature finds that there is a well-documented history of indoctrination and sexual abuse perpetrated by religious leaders and clergy people upon children. Abusers within churches and other religious institutions often use events like church or youth-group-sponsored camps and retreats to earn children’s trust and gain unsupervised access to such children in order to commit such abuse,” Hunt’s amendment states in part.
“No individual under nineteen years of age shall be present at a religious indoctrination camp. Any person nineteen years of age or older who knowingly brings an individual under nineteen years of age to a religious indoctrination camp shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor,” Hunt’s amendment continues. “No individual under twenty-one years of age shall be present at a religious indoctrination camp if alcoholic liquor is being served at such location, regardless if such alcoholic liquor is being served as part of a religious ceremony.”
Hunt, who first took office in 2019, has explained that her legislative objectives for the current session include “protecting access to safe and legal abortion in Nebraska, protecting the rights of LGBTQ Nebraskans, particularly trans-Nebraskans and LGBT students; and protecting Nebraska’s secure system of free and fair elections.”
She previously called out the drag show bill as an “unconstitutional censorship attempt to put an age limit on drag shows,” claiming that there is “no danger in drag shows” and arguing that parents shouldn’t be prevented from bringing minors to these events.
“I have already filed a motion to indefinitely postpone it, which would kill the bill,” Hunt wrote in a blog post addressed to her constituents.
State Sen. David Murman (R), who introduced the drag show legislation, has argued that the bill would help protect children.
“I think the vast majority of Nebraskans would agree that sexualized dancing and enhanced genitals is not appropriate for children to view,” he said, according to Nebraska Public Media. “Adults, whatever they want to do, whatever. But children, we need to protect them from being oversexualized and overstimulated, I guess, as children.”
