In response to circulating video of children partaking in a Wynwood bar's drag show brunches, Gov. Ron DeSantis has filed a state complaint against the business.
The complaint accuses the establishment of disorderly conduct, stating that the shows are conducted in the presence of minors and "corrupts the public morals and outrages the sense of public decency."
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DeSantis said an investigation by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation was conducted following the release of the video showing an exposed drag queen and young girl hand-in-hand at an R House show. In the clip, the drag queen is seen wearing lingerie as she parades the girl around the restaurant.
The investigation, in which agents visited the business, revealed that minors were present at many shows and a children's menu is offered at the bar. In response, the investigators initiated a procedure that would challenge R House's liquor license and would consequently put the establishment out of business, according to DeSantis.
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"We take the well-being of children very seriously," he said. "We want to make sure that we have a state and we have a community where kids can be kids."
In response to the complaint, R House released a statement earlier this afternoon.
"We are hopeful that Governor DeSantis, a vociferous supporter and champion of Florida's hospitality industry and small businesses, will see this as what it is, a misunderstanding, and that the matter will be resolved positively and promptly," it read.
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This is not the first time drag has been under attack by lawmakers. In June, DeSantis and Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton each slammed the practice of performing drag in the presence of minors. The politicians threatened to take action to ban family drag and punish parents who exposed their children to it.
In an interview with NBC 6 back in June, drag queen Athena Dion encouraged those who see drag as harmful, predatorial or perverted to attend a show and form an opinion for themselves. Dion works with children by giving makeovers at local hospitals and attending toy drives, to which she says she only gets amazing reactions.
"Sit down, have a drag brunch, and then you tell me your thoughts on a show because you're going to see firsthand that it's a really great time," Dion said. "There's no harm to be had by anybody."
