Sen. Royce West

After long-time ally Royce West votes for anti-drag bills, advocates warn LGBTQ voters not to take anything for granted

DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com

The Texas Senate recently passed two anti-drag bills that have now been sent to the House where they must pass before the bills could become law. Sen. Royce West, a Dallas Democrat, originally voted for both bills, but then changed his vote on one of them. He was the only Democrat to vote for either bill.

Dallas Voice contacted West’s office for comment regarding his votes, but he had not responded as of deadline. Should he or his office respond later, those comments will be posted online at DallasVoice.com.

West’s votes on the two measures surprised his LGBTQ constituents who have always considered him a reliable ally. And the senator heard about it directly from some of them.

Dallas County Democratic Party Chair Kristy Noble

During a recent meeting of the Funky East Dallas Democrats — known as the FEDDS — FEDDS member Kendall Scudder picked up his phone and called West as the rest of the group listened in. Scudder is also vice chair for finance of the Texas Democratic Party.

“He doesn’t understand the historical significance of drag to the LGBT civil rights movement,” Scudder said of West. “Drag queens were the first ones to throw punches when the police attacked, so they’re sacred to us.”

Scudder, who was raised by lesbian moms, said West’s vote was “incredibly frustrating,” adding that he is disappointed in the senator’s vote.

Jeff Strater, president, Texas Stonewall Democrats and a Texas Senate District 23 Democratic committeeman, this week said he is “disturbed that Sen. West was the lone Democrat to follow the right-wing Republican’s playbook to attack LGBTQ+ Texans. This anti-drag bill was a key priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the anti-drag group Protect Texas Kids. Of all the ways to protect children in Senate District 23 this is not one of them.”

Since the bill West voted for would impose $10,000 fines on drag performers and West has represented Oak Lawn since 1993, the senator was voting to impose a fine on businesses in his own district.

In Senate Bill 12, drag is referred to as a “sexually oriented performance” and restricts those performances on public property, on the premises of a commercial enterprise or in the presence of a child. The bill authorizes a civil penalty — presumably a fine — and creates a criminal offense. Someone who performs in drag and is charged under this law would have a criminal record.

While supporters of the bill claim its purpose is to protect the children, the bill is worded in such a way that drag performances would be prohibited on public property, in a private business OR in front of a minor anywhere.

The Rose Room at the Winspear performances that sold out during the pandemic took place on public property and thus would have been banned had SB 12 been in effect then. And in its current state, a number of Broadway shows that come through the Winspear and the Music Hall at Fair Park would also be banned.

Stonewall Democrats of Texas President Jeff Strater

Tootsie opens at the Winspear Opera House next week, and under SB 12, the lead actor could be charged for performing in drag on public property as well as in front of minors. And when Cassie Nova performs in JR.’s or any Cedar Springs bar, she would be engaging in criminal activity for performing “on the premises of a commercial enterprise.” And since dressing up as a princess and reading to children would be illegal, drag queen story hour events could send performers to jail.

Based on the current wording of the bill, only the person performing dressed as the opposite gender would be in legal jeopardy. So the rest of the cast of Tootsie would be safe. So would be Broadway Dallas, which booked the show. And so would be the staff of the Winspear and ATTPAC who presented the performance that would be equated to pornography.

But if SB 12 is signed into law, they could be next.

This year’s biggest hit Broadway hit, Some Like It Hot is sure to send out a touring company next year. In this story — based on the 1959 classic movie of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon — the two male leads hide from the mob by dressing as women.

It’s drag. And while the film is generally ranked as one of the greatest comedies ever made, that doesn’t make the musical version legal in Texas.

The other bill West voted for before changing his mind — SB 1601 — would prohibit Drag Queen Story Time. More specifically, it would prohibit libraries that “host certain events” from receiving state or other public funding.

“Public funding” was amended to “a political subdivision” to prevent Dallas from funding its own library system if it presented one of those “certain events.”

Another amendment inserted the phrase “and appeals to the prurient interest in sex.” Of course, that was defined by some of the most prurient minds in the Texas Senate in three categories: “appeals to a minor’s interest in sex, nudity or excretion; is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable for minors, and is utterly without redeeming social value for minors.”

Texas Democratic Party Vice Chair Kendall Scudder

Obviously, those who are trying to prevent libraries from presenting Drag Queen Story Time have never been to a drag queen story time. Appeal to a minor’s interest in excretion? They’re in princess costumes reading children’s books to an enthralled audience. What children’s books are about sex, nudity and excretion?

And without social value? One hundred children sitting quietly for an hour listening to stories being read is one of the best ways to interest children in reading. And interesting children in reading is the most important job of a library.

Sen. West voted for the bill on first reading, but, after the amendments, he decided to vote “nay” along with all other Democrats on third and final reading.

Kristy Noble, who chairs the Dallas Democratic Party, expressed frustration with West’s vote and encouraged LGBTQ voters to always contact their representatives about issues they care about — even if your representatives have always been allies. Never assume an ally is going to support the community on the next issue.

Let them know where you stand, she said.

Strater agreed: “It caught us by surprise that a Democrat supported this bill. Now we have learned that more than ever we need to contact legislators both Democrat and Republican on our legislative issues.”