drag performance
Bill that initially targeted drag shows becomes Arkansas law
A bill that originally would have restricted where drag performances can be held in Arkansas but now does not mention the word “drag” at all became law Friday. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed 15 bills on Friday, including Senate Bill 43, which was heavily amended earlier this month in order to survive potential legal challenges. […]
Arkansas Senate approves bill to hold libraries accountable for ‘obscene’ material
A bill that would open the door to criminal liability for the distribution of “obscene” content by school and public libraries passed the Arkansas Senate on a party-line vote Wednesday and will next be considered by the House. All six Senate Democrats voted against Senate Bill 81, and 27 Republicans voted for it while two […]
Arkansas Senate approves bill allowing malpractice suits for transgender minors’ health care
A proposed law that would allow medical malpractice lawsuits against Arkansas doctors who provide gender-affirming care to transgender minors passed the Senate on Tuesday with a party-line vote and will go to the House for consideration. Senate Bill 199 would create civil liability for a doctor who “performs a gender transition procedure on a minor […]
Rewritten ‘drag’ bill passes Arkansas House, will return to Senate
The Arkansas House passed a heavily amended bill Monday that prohibits “adult-oriented” performances from public property or using public funds. The original version of the bill sought to restrict drag performances, but the version passed by the House on a party-line vote doesn’t mention the word “drag.” Senate Bill 43, which was rewritten Thursday, defines […]
“Gutted” Arkansas bill no longer targets drag performers or LGBTQ community, activists say
Arkansas legislators amended a bill that originally would have restricted where drag performances can be held but now does not mention the word “drag” at all. Activists who have opposed Senate Bill 43 since it was introduced in January say the heavily amended language no longer targets LGBTQ Arkansans. The bill was amended Thursday for […]
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Arkansas Legislature rolls through Week 4 with ice and amendments
The fourth week of the Arkansas General Assembly’s 2023 legislative session brought lots of ice and amendments. Senate Bill 43, which targeted drag shows, has demanded the most attention of any legislation through the first month of the session, but by the time the House and Senate adjourned for the weekend, it had been so […]
Two LGBTQ-specific bills move forward in Arkansas Legislature
Two proposed laws that activists say discriminate against LGBTQ Arkansans progressed in the state Legislature Wednesday. State Rep. Mary Bentley (R-Perryville) is sponsoring both bills and has said repeatedly that they are meant to protect children from sexual behavior that could emotionally damage them. House Bill 1156 would restrict bathroom use in public schools based […]
Anti-drag legislation passes Arkansas Senate in 29-6 party-line vote
A proposed law that would limit where drag performances can occur will head to the Arkansas House of Representatives after passing the Senate on a party-line vote Tuesday. Senate Bill 43 defines a “drag performance” as at least one person “exhibit[ing] a gender identity that is different from the performer’s gender assigned at birth using […]
Arkansas legislation restricting school restroom use mimics Conway policy
Activists from Conway will speak against a bill before the House Education Committee on Thursday, sharing their experience with the Conway School District’s policy that restricts children’s access to bathrooms and changing areas based on their gender assigned at birth. House Bill 1156, filed Tuesday, would apply to multiple-occupancy restrooms and locker rooms, as well […]
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Culture wars and the first bills of the Arkansas legislative session
Week two of the Arkansas General Assembly has come to an end, and it feels like the session is now actually underway. Thursday had it all: a tense committee hearing on a divisive social issue, a school choice rally, a rally in support of drag performers and action on dozens of bills destined to become […]
Anti-drag bill passes Arkansas Senate committee, opponents rally outside Capitol
Dozens — including drag performers and transgender Arkansans — stood on the Arkansas State Capitol steps Thursday afternoon and sang “Seasons of Love” to the assembled crowd, an act of defiance against a proposed law approved by a legislative committee just hours earlier. The performance, organizers said, would be banned under Senate Bill 43, which […]