What started as a colorful, family-friendly event in downtown Mobile has now become the latest battleground in Alabama’s escalating culture wars.

More than six years ago, Drag Queen Story Hour drew a passionate crowd of supporters and LGBTQ activists, celebrating inclusivity in the heart of the city.

But in the years since, drag performances have been caught in a political firestorm, with conservative activists denouncing them as inappropriate for children. Now, Alabama lawmakers are taking steps to outlaw them altogether.

On Wednesday, a House legislative committee advanced HB67, a bill that would ban drag performances in public libraries and schools.

Supporters say the measure is about protecting children; critics argue it’s a blatant attack on free speech—one that could be destined for the courts.

“This is a protection of kids,” Alabama State House Majority Leader Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle. He is the sponsor of HB67. “We don’t need kids in that environment.”

Similar bills that surface two years ago in Montana, Tennessee, Texas and Florida were challenged in court and struck down as violations to the First Amendment’s freedom of speech and expression.

“Bills like this diminish our freedom to choose what art and entertainment we see and hear – the right that lies at the heart of a free people,” said Alex Finan, spokesperson for the National Coalition Against Censorship.

The Alabama bill also prohibits state operated or funded programs from allowing minors to share multi-occupancy bathrooms, changing facilities or sleeping quarters unless they are a family member and have parental or guardian consent.

The legislation does not include penalties.

“I just feel like so much of what we are doing here is overreach and a very reactive measure when there really isn’t a problem,” said Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville.

Debating drag

During the committee’s hearing, Lands and Stadthagen got into a heated debate over whether the issue should be a concern.

Lands asked if it was problematic for someone to dress up like Mother Goose to read to children.

“Whatever you call it, that is not appropriate for a child to see,” Stadthagen replied, questioning Lands on whether she felt it was appropriate “for a man to be dressed in a sexual manner in front of a child.”

Lands replied, “not in a sexual manner, but that is not in the bill. If it’s part of a theater performance, it happens all the time.”

The legislation defines a drag performance as one in which a performer “exhibits a sex identity that is different from the sex assigned to the performer at birth using clothing, makeup, or other physical markers.”

Jeonna Mims, a performer at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham and parent to a transgender child, said that drag is an art that has been “around longer than the United States,” and is something that should be “celebrated, not legislated against in 2025.”

“We are upfront about protecting kids,” Mims said, who has performed before as a Care Bear, The Grinch and Krampus. “It’s no different than the theater I did in high school, and the local community theaters. We are performers. There is nothing sexual about that.”

Tish Warr, a social worker from McCalla, said that Drag Queen Story Hour events are attended by a child’s parent, and “are not what conservatives are making them out to be.”

Warr said that having a drag performer read books to children is not “as big of an issue to the kids as it is to the people who are trying to advance an agenda.”

LGBTQ reaction

The legislation has also generated the ire of LGBTQ activists, who have battled GOP lawmakers in recent years over a host of bills aimed particularly at transgender people.

The Alabama Transgender Rights Action Coalition (ALTRAC), in a statement, said that HB67 is an “intentionally vague bill” that infringes on the First Amendment rights of Alabamians.

Their statement also says the bill could target transgender people who pick up their kids from schools or at the library.

“Ostensibly the bill aims to ban drag performances, but it is written such that transgender people would also be caught up in its reach,” the statement reads.

“Some transgender people are the parents of kids in Alabama public schools, and they should be free to pick their kids up from school or attend their child’s school play without fear of violating the law.”

ALTRAC’s statement also raises concerns about how “performance” would be interpreted under HB67. If a transgender person is “performing” their job at a library or public school, they could find themselves in violation of the bill if it becomes Alabama law.

The legislation also has implications for students who are not trans, according to ALTRAC. For example, the ALTRAC statement suggests a girl dressing up as George Washington for a classroom presentation would be in violation of HB67.

“It also begs the question, ‘What is the Alabama state dress code?’” the statement reads.

“Will women be restricted to dresses because pants are a male clothing item? In their effort to target drag by any means necessary, legislators have once again painted themselves into a corner with ignorance, and they are getting ever nearer to violating the first amendment rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.”

Family friendly

Bryan Fuenmayor, who once led Rainbow Mobile and was the coordinator of the 2018 Drag Queen Story House at the Ben May Main Branch, called that event “family friendly” that included no major objections.

“The kids see someone in a costume,” he said.

“It’s entertaining. Even Bob Hope dressed up as a drag queen to entertain the troops at one time. I think there is a misunderstanding and misconception. No one wants to groom children in terms of pedophilia. We don’t want to harm kids. We want to show them that people are different and there are same-sex families.”

The Mobile Public Library, in a statement, said in part that they will abide by HB67 if it’s adopted into law.

“Our priority remains creating a positive and enriching space for all members of the community, focusing on literacy, educational development, and cultural enrichment,” the statement reads.

“We appreciate the ongoing dialogue surrounding this issue and encourage our patrons to engage in discussions that promote understanding, respect, and the shared goal of serving the public interest.”

Patricia Todd, co-chair of Alabama Equality and a former Democratic state lawmaker from Birmingham, said HB67 along with the “What is a Woman Act” are meant to divert the public’s attention from “the real issues” facing lawmakers like health care, education, and prison reform.

The “What is a Woman Act” was approved by the Alabama House on Wednesday and awaits Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s signature. It would define someone’s sex as whatever is verified on a birth certificate. It also provides definitions for male, female, man, woman, boy, girl, mother and father.

“We are getting attacked at all levels from the federal and state on these kinds of things and it’s never ending,” Todd said. “We just want to live our lives and have lawmakers focus on the real issues like prison overcrowding, lack of healthcare services, unemployment. Just leave us alone.”

But some conservative lawmakers say the bill is needed out of concern over having children confront a drag show.

“I think this bill is very good common sense,” said Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity. “I think probably our grandparents are looking from down from above and praying for us right now.”