'First Amendment civil rights violation': Controversial bill concerns LGBTQ+ community
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — A bill filed this week is already sparking controversy. It states it would ban a public display of "lewd acts or obscene material."
According to the legislation, this would affect events like parades, shows, concerts and plays.
This is raising concerns for some people about what this could mean for pride celebrations and drag shows.
Fox 25 spoke with the CEO of the Tower Theatre, which hosts similar events. Stephen Tyler says he enjoys hosting drag and burlesque shows, and a lawmaker can't and won't take that away from him.
"We're going to keep doing them," Tyler said. "You're not going to come and tell me that I can't do it."
Senate Bill 503 would make it a felony to show any kind of sexual behavior at public events like parades, shows or anywhere a minor could see it.
"You don't talk about these sort of lewd acts, mention things like parades and not connect the dots that what we're talking about is things like pride, drag shows, burlesque."
People say they are coming to this conclusion because Senator David Bullard has a history of writing anti-LGBTQ+ bills.
Bullard helped write SB 615, the controversial bathroom bill. Also, he recently proposed a law that would prohibit "genital mutilation of youth under 26."
"Targeting transgender, gender non-conforming people, especially is at the sort of top of his priority list," Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma Nicole McAfee said. "I think as we read through bills it's been especially clear across the country in the last few years that a lot of the bills that target our community don't explicitly name our community."
The language in the bill may be vague, but McAfee is sure of one thing.
"There are a lot of people who would be potentially harmed if this bill went into effect."
If these concerns about Bullard's proposal are true, attorney Eric Cotton says it could be grounds for a lawsuit.
"Absolutely," Cotton said. "At that point it's something that we would look at in terms of a First Amendment civil rights violation. It could also be a lawsuit to protect these individuals rights to express themselves freely, and in a way that complies with the law as everyone else does."
Fox 25 made every effort to reach out to Bullard, so he could explain the bill and what it would mean for Oklahomans. But, he told our newsroom he didn't have any time in his schedule to comment.
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