NBC 6’s Phil Prazan is live from Fort Lauderdale where officials from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation are investigating a Christmas-themed drag show touring the state, alleging the show is a “sexually explicit performance marketed to children.”
Officials from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation are investigating a Christmas-themed drag show touring the state, alleging the show is a "sexually explicit performance marketed to children."
The event, called "A Drag Queen Christmas," stopped in Fort Lauderdale on Monday and Miami on Tuesday as part of a national tour. The show also has stops scheduled in Orlando and Clearwater this week.
In a statement, the press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the department is actively looking into Monday's Fort Lauderdale show — including using video footage and photos from the event to see if children were there.
NBC 6 reached out to the office of Gov. DeSantis to see if Tuesday's Miami show is also under investigation, but has not yet heard back.
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"Exposing children to sexually explicit activity is a crime in Florida, and such action violates the Department's licensing standards for operating a business and holding a liquor license," Bryan Griffin said.
A media spokesperson from the Broward Center of Performing Arts says the show was for guests over the age of 18, unless their parents brought them.
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"To ensure patrons were aware of the adult themes and content in the show, this information was on the website and ticket purchase page," the spokesperson said. "All ticket buyers were also informed directly through a 'Know Before You Go' email."
On Tuesday, dozens of people representing a local Catholic group were on hand to protest the Miami event, while counter-protesters showed up in support of the event.
“It’s really gotten out of hand," one protester said. "It’s a really satanic situation, to pervert our children, and we cannot permit that."
A local anti-fascist organization held a counter-protest across the street, supporting the show.
"They're protesting the holidays, they're protesting good fun, they're protesting families," one supporter said. "They have hatred in their souls for people that we love and this is a form of self-defense, of community defense."
Famous drag queens like Nina West and Trinity The Tuck, well-known for competing on RuPaul's Drag Race, performed in the shows on Monday and Tuesday.
NBC 6 asked for comments from Nina West and Trinity The Tuck but has not yet heard back.
This investigation comes after the state of Florida barred transgender children from receiving hormones or undergoing surgeries to treat gender dysphoria under a rule approved in November by state medical officials at the urging of DeSantis.
