A 2023 Texas law aimed at restricting public drag performances has recently moved forward, breaking free from limbo in a federal appeals court. The new law that Gov. Greg Abbott has called “a major victory for Texas kids” does not explicitly name drag as its intended target; however, it effectively bans any performances in public where minors are present that are “nude, engaging in sexual conduct, or appeal to the prurient interest in sex.”
Although a point of contention, the age-old American performance art that is drag is not exclusively made with sex at the forefront of the craft. Despite the nuance, the Republican-led Texas Legislature is not discouraged from finding ways to push the constitutional boundaries to further Abbott’s goal of promoting conservative values.
Abbott and Republicans have been outspoken critics of drag performances in the past, and this law, packed into the larger Senate Bill 12 (SB 12), is no exception. In posts on X, the Texas governor admitted that this law is “codified common sense” to restrict public drag performances.
Owing in part to vague language, the law, which became enforceable on March 18 of this year, still causes considerable confusion about what is and isn’t banned. The issue of misinformation has been exacerbated by members of online spaces, where both supporters of the bill and LGBTQ+ activists have broadcast the law as an effective “drag ban”.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas (ACLU), a civil rights organization whose mission is to protect and further individual liberties for citizens, lays out the new law clearly:
The law specifically bans any performance that features “nudity, sexual conduct (actual or simulated), sexual acts, body contact, or use of accessories or prosthetics that exaggerate male or female characteristics.” This is not limited to drag performances but applies to any public performance that violates these limits.
Businesses that host performances that violate these laws may face $10,000 fines.
Similarly, violating performers could face Class A misdemeanors.
This legislation, however, does not apply to bars and nightclubs, where anyone under 18 is denied entry, nor does it affect any drag performance in public that skirts around the widely misunderstood classification of “appealing to prurient interest of sex.”
Any family-friendly public drag shows that do not feature nudity or sexual content are unaffected by the law, according to the ACLU.
In response to the news, some local drag performers in the Valley have spoken out against such legislation.
“I’ve been hearing about this law since 2023, when it was first introduced. We [drag queens] were a little skeptical, but right now we are in a political state where anything is possible, so it never left my radar,” says Brownsville-based drag performer Luna Cisneros when asked about the new restrictions.
“At first, the law sounded scary, but now in 2026, we hear exactly what it means—It’s a vague answer. It could be used by anyone in any type of way. It was based on fear.”
Luna Cisneros is equal parts mother, LGBTQ activist, and drag queen who works primarily out of Brownsville’s most frequented gay bar, Bar-B, where she has acted as a show director and regular cast member for the past 3 years under her drag persona, Luna Karr.
“A lot of my work is using my platform in drag to raise awareness,” says the seasoned performer, who has strong opinions on Senate Bill 12.
As a local artist, Cisneros has been using her voice to speak out against laws that target the LGBTQ+ community in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). Cisneros feels that Texas Republicans are using the protection of children as a justification for their attack on drag culture and that legislators have failed to understand what they see as a threat to their values.
“One of the arguments for this law is to protect the children, but they [legislators] already have laws in place for that. No minors can enter these spaces [nightclubs]. It begs the question, what does drag even mean to them?”
Cisneros did, however, acknowledge the negative impact that this bill could have on LGBTQ+ youth in the RGV who may be discouraged by this law’s recent introduction. “I am afraid of what this will do for the younger queer people in the community; people who are afraid to be themselves. It [the law] will frame it as if queer people are the real threat to society.”
Yet despite the recent ramp-up in legislative activity in the conservative political scene, the seasoned activist remains unfazed. “These laws do not make me scared. I feel this is just a strategy to inflict fear in our community. Personally, I’m not worried,” says Cisneros.
