Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is considering ordering the state’s child protective services to investigate parents who take their children to drag shows.
NBC News recently reported that the governor told reporters he had asked his staff to look into proposed legislation that would punish the parents of children who take their kids to drag shows.
“We have child protective statutes on the books,” Gov. DeSantis said. “We have laws against child endangerment.”
“It used to be kids would be off-limits. Used to be everybody agreed with that. Now, it just seems like there’s a concerted effort to be exposing kids more and more to things that are not age appropriate.”
The governor’s comments came after a horrifying (warning: sexualized content) video made the rounds on social media of young children attending a drag show in Dallas, Texas (that’s right … Texas).
The video shows young children tipping the Drag Queens with cash, leading the “performer” to “drop it low” for the kids.
A drag queen drops it low for children and takes their money—
This is not even the worst footage to come out of the event believe it or not. pic.twitter.com/uIodp84Naf
— Tayler Hansen 🇺🇸 (@TaylerUSA) June 4, 2022
At the same event, children were invited on stage to “walk with the Drag Queens” in front of sexually explicit phrases in neon lettering.
Of course, none of this would have happened had their parents not voluntarily chosen to take their children to the event. This was an affirmative choice on the part of the children’s parents.
“That is totally inappropriate,” Gov. DeSantis also told reporters. “That is not something children should be exposed to. And so, we probably, we may have the ability to deal with something like that if something like that happens.”
There are several lessons we should take away from this horrifying instance.
First, (and this should go without saying) no child should ever be taken to a drag show or exposed to a drag queen through Drag Queen Story Hour or any other kind of immoral and evil event. Children are not designed to handle the weight of adult sexuality, and intentionally exposing them to sexual content at young ages is damaging and destructive.
These adults are deliberately exposing children to sexual sin. As Jesus said, “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin” (Luke 17:2 ESV).
Second, competent public authorities should weigh whether they can use the full weight of the law to ensure that children are protected from these kinds of sexualized events.
Third, we should pray for all those struggling because of sexual sin. Pray also for an end to Drag Queen Story Hours and similar desensitization events. With due consideration to our station in life, and in accordance with all relevant laws, we should also reflect on what we can do to stop them.
Lastly, this event demonstrates that now is the time for courageous moral leadership. And any politician who stands up to defend children should be praised.
Of course, the push to sexualize children isn’t just taking place with drag shows. Oftentimes, it’s happening in classrooms, which is why it’s so important for parents to be intensely involved in their children’s education. Parents must be aware of what their children are learning in school.
If you’re worried about what your child is being taught in school, check out the following new resource from Focus on the Family: Back to School for Parents: A Busy parent’s guide to what’s happening in your children’s classrooms and practical steps you can take to protect them.
Related articles and resources:
No, You Shouldn’t Take Your Children to an LGBT Pride Parade
Navigating ‘LGBT Pride Month’ – How Should Parents Respond?
Education Roundup: Queer Science, Drag Shows and Rainbow Clubs
Taco Bell Spices Up its Menu with ‘Drag Brunches’ to Promote Gay Pride
Photo from Shutterstock.