Arkansas bill classifies drag show as adult-oriented business, adds location restrictions

– A bill filed Monday in the Arkansas Senate would define a drag performance as an adult-oriented business and place restrictions on where they could take place. Senate Bill 43, sponsored by Arkansas Sen. Gary Stubblefield and Rep. Mary Bentley, adds “drag performance” to the list of adult-oriented businesses in the Arkansas code, which includes adult cabarets, adult theatres or nude model studios. In previous legislative sessions Arkansas has made national headlines for legislation seeming to target the trans community. In the 2021 session, Arkansas made news for a bill, which passed over the governor’s veto, creating a first-in-the-nation law denying gender-affirming care for minors. That session also saw a bill to prevent trans girls from participating in girl’s youth sports.