Apparently y’all don’t have children or grandchildren who love Disney princesses. I watched the video of the events that happened this past weekend at a local business. This is what I saw; a young girl was enjoying herself dancing on stage with Disney princesses. She came across a woman playing Ariel, the little mermaid. She became fascinated with the material in the costume of the performer. And the material is fascinating. They have pillows at Target and other stores made of this stuff. When it is brushed one way, it shows one color and pattern, when brushed the other way, it shows another color and pattern. Children love it.
The performer showed the little girl how the costume changed by brushing her own outer thigh. Unfortunately, the little girl chose to experiment with the material by brushing the front of the costume of the woman performer for a few moments. Then the performer moved and turned to get the child to continue dancing, which the little girl did. There wasn’t anything sexual happening except in the minds of those people who decided it was something sexual. It was a child who loved princesses and thought the costume was interesting, that’s all.
As to the other part of the “shocking video” showing a drag performer moving their legs apart as a flourish in their dance and wanting to have them charged with Tennessee’s obscenity law. Are you prepared to charge the shows on TV like “Dancing with the Stars” or “America’s Got Talent” with the same law? Or sports shows that have cheerleaders, ice skating or gymnastic events? Or hundreds of music videos shown on TV and online? The same move happens over and over again in those shows. Again, the only people who thought that this move was sexual or obscene were the folks who were inclined to think it was before they even saw the dance.
Folks, please stop chugging the regurgitated bile of raging homophobes. They are only trying to divide us as a county, state, and nation. There is a need to have an open dialog between the groups involved, but not have people forcing old or new laws into play pushed by those whose minds have already been made up for them. Especially by our elected leaders who are supposed to represent everyone.
Thomas Blanks
* * *
I personally do not find having children in bar with a drag show as acceptable entertainment for them, or me for that matter.
But I do agree with Thomas Blanks that the " shocking video" was far from that, despite the the overall unsavory situation.
Sam Lewallen, Jr.