Florida drag performers balance pain and defiance as anti-LGBTQ+ laws loom

But with more than a dozen anti-LGBTQ+ bills sweeping the Florida Legislature, she’s forced to confront a fresh wave of fear. Additional legislation seeks to bar children from attending certain “adult live performances” — an apparent reference to drag shows — and governments from issuing permits to events with drag performers, throwing pride events into question. On this spring evening, Summers stands among more than 20 Tampa Bay drag queens who have gathered for a performance. Fueling the crackdown on transgender rights is a stated intent to shield children from “grooming” and LGBTQ+ “indoctrination.” Gov. Trans people and drag performers helped lead the charge.