This past week Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill into law that makes staging an “adult cabaret performance” in public a criminal offense. The term “drag” does not appear in the legislation, but the bill coincides with a growing backlash against drag shows and events. Conservative commentators like Matt Walsh are of the opinion that drag is inherently sexual in nature and inappropriate for children to be exposed to. It has also been suggested that events like Drag Queen Story Hour are harmful to children and put them at risk of being “groomed.” While I understand the concern, having been to a number of salacious drag shows, the implication that drag performers are predatory is not only harmful but untrue. There is an ongoing obsession with the transgender community within the conservative movement that has been fueled by documentaries like Matt Walsh’s “What Is A Woman?” The 2022 film raises valid questions and points out obvious flaws in regard to the logic behind gender ideology, but it fails to acknowledge the fact that many queer people, like myself, do not see this as a black and white issue. Influencer Jeffree Star went on a podcast recently and voiced his opinion on the use of non-binary pronouns. As an overtly androgynous person, he shared his belief that labels like “they” and “them” are “stupid” and “made up.” You would think this would be something that someone like Walsh would agree with, but because he sees Star as nothing more than a “flamboyant, cross-dressing circus performer” who “enjoys dressing like a woman,” Walsh completely dismissed Star’s perspective, claiming that his affirmation of “transgenderism” proves that he is not on the same side and can’t be trusted. This lack of nuance in the conversation leads to the same extremist talking points being spewed over and over again from both sides without any progress ever being made. It is equally frustrating and disappointing that we seem to be unable to engage in any kind of rational discussions when it comes to controversial topics like these. This invariably results in the consistently divisive climate we are currently experiencing.