Oklahoma lawmakers are suggesting that a new state law aimed at "adult performances" means municipalities must predict what sorts of events might become obscene and preemptively prohibit them. It's a clear recipe for chilling protected speech—especially drag performances, which were one of the main targets of the law.
H.B. 1217 did not explicitly mention drag performers. But supporters of the bill—such as Oklahoma state Sen. Dusty Deevers (R–Elgin)—made it clear that "grown men parad[ing] around in lingerie and exaggerated prosthetics" were their targets. "This basically, I mean, this is a no-brainer. We're basically banning drag shows in front of kids," Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said in May.
