Why is “Not a Drag Queen” Trending Right Now?

As the attack on queer people, trans people, and drag performance heats up, it only manages to become more ridiculous. The right is claiming that drag somehow constitutes child abuse, and Tennessee recently passed the first bill to ban public drag performances.

Which means that, just like in the old anti-trans bathroom bill days of 2015, it becomes our job to point out that it isn’t drag that’s hurting children: it’s the religious right itself.

Related:

If You’re a Drag Performer in Texas, You Could Soon Have a Bounty on Your Head

Existing as trans in Texas will mean having a literal bounty on one’s head.

Why is “Not a Drag Queen” Trending Right Now?

Drag shows have done a hell of a lot less damage to American youth than your average youth pastor.

If you see the phrase #NotADragQueen trending on Twitter today, it’s a rebuttal to the right’s claim that drag—and by extension trans identity—are somehow not child-safe by pointing out the real harm that exists within the religious right, in the character of youth pastors and church officials who are actual, documented pedophiles. But attend this thread with caution: each example of comes with a pretty harrowing backstory.

For example, this youth pastor who abused children in his congregation for 25 years.

Or this Trump fan and Qanon conspiracy theorist arrested on four counts of child pornography.

Or this other youth pastor. Are we sensing a theme yet?

A state senator…

A police officer…

A SWAT team officer…

You get the picture. The fact is that in this country, drag queens and trans people are overwhelmingly the victims, not the perpetrators, of violence against children and never have been. Trans people aren’t a threat to the concept of childhood or innocence, and drag shows have done a hell of a lot less damage to American youth than your average youth pastor.

But we knew that already, didn’t we?