TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — June is Pride Month, which means it's usually full of Pride events all throughout the Sunshine state.
However, events in Port St. Lucie and Tampa got canceled after a new law passed addressing adult performances.
THE QUESTION
Are drag shows still legal in Florida?
SOURCES
Florida State Senator Clay Yarborough
The Protection of Children Act
First amendment attorney Gary Edinger
THE ANSWER
Yes, drag shows are still legal in Florida.
WHAT WE FOUND
The Protection of Children Act specifically restricts minors from attending adult performances with sexual or lewd conduct.
"Adults are free to do or go to whatever they may wish," said Yarborough. "Our main goal was to protect the kids, so this was striking the balance in order to do that."
Yarbrough sponsored the bill, and says shows can still happen so long as kids aren't there.
If the law is broken, it's the venue that's held accountable and could lose its license and be fined.
Local governments also aren't allowed to permit adult performances with children there.
Organizers could face a misdemeanor if they knowingly let a child in.
"Local government has a responsibility not to issue a permit if they know that those activities are going to take place, but then on the part of organizers of any events, they need to make sure they aren't representing something would not take place and it really does," said Yarborough.
Edinger studied the new act, and points out not all drag shows are the same, some may not fit the definition of "sexual" or "lewd" conduct.
"The law does not even actually prohibit minors from attending these performances, as long as they aren't obscene or harmful to minors, and that's one of the big questions," said Edinger.
Edinger points out that although drag shows are still legal in Florida, venues are taking a lot of the legal responsibility under the new law.
He says performers could have a hard time finding venues that are willing to take on the risk.