00:00It's unbelievable that they would try to censor art, and they just continue to attack
00:06the LGBTQ plus community constantly.
00:10I am not afraid of them.
00:11I'm not going to change the way I live my life.
00:14Being openly, visibly queer is resistance in itself.
00:18Come arrest me.
00:19Drag, for me, is literally just freedom.
00:312023 has become the year of restricting drag in the U.S., as at least 17 states have introduced
00:36bills to restrict drag performances.
00:38Tennessee is the first state to sign one into law.
00:41For Brew, I spent a weekend with drag artists in Nashville who were organizing the resistance.
00:47Last November, they began talking about wanting to have this drag ban.
00:55And I think we all thought, this is not going to happen.
00:58Like, oh my gosh, this is ridiculous, because it sounds ridiculous.
01:03And then January hit, and it was literally the first bill that they put up.
01:08It was like a reality check of, oh, we live in this state that really is trying to ban us.
01:15Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has just signed a bill that would restrict drag performances.
01:20Are you trying to send a signal that some types of communities, some types of people
01:24aren't welcome here in Tennessee?
01:26You shouldn't be simulating sex acts in front of children.
01:28Drag performances out in the open, like this one at Nashville Pride last year, will now
01:32be illegal in Tennessee.
01:34They're banning anything that's in public that could be seen by someone who is underage.
01:41The first offense is a misdemeanor.
01:44The second offense is a felony, which means that you would lose your right to vote.
01:50But at the end of the day, come arrest me.
01:54Come arrest me and tell me what I'm doing is wrong in a full-length gown that you like.
01:58Literally the skin you're seeing is my hands.
02:02This one is, like, completely made from scratch.
02:05It's beautiful, and it's just, like, awesome!
02:11Since it was the day after the ban, I wanted to really celebrate drag.
02:15So I booked 20 drag entertainers, and we're just going to put on a big show celebrating
02:21drag and art and just have a great time.
02:27Our relationship has definitely grown, and in the past six months, I would say it's grown
02:30a lot.
02:31I mean, I think everything that's been happening has just really kind of formed a really special
02:35sisterhood here.
02:38Community to me means a sisterhood, you know?
02:41I mean, that's really what it feels like.
02:43You know, we all call each other by our drag names, even when we're not in drag.
02:46It's how we know each other, you know?
02:48I mean, that's who we are to each other.
02:50We all really completely accept each other.
02:53So, Vag, when are you going to run for office?
02:57Girl, apparently sooner rather than later.
02:59I don't...
03:00Like...
03:01But I'm tired!
03:04I know everybody's tired.
03:06We're on alert right now, you know?
03:08We have to pay attention.
03:09I mean, we've been talking, you know, me and my friends, we have a group chat for the shows
03:13that we have, and we've all been talking about, like, don't let your guard down.
03:19In regards to this drag bill itself, we've really just kind of been focused on not really
03:25being distracted of what the real issues are here in Tennessee.
03:29I mean, we decided, like, from day one with all this happening, like, we're not going
03:32to, like, go in with anger and, like, malice.
03:35We're going to go in with kindness and love, because they want us to be mad.
03:38They want us to be angry.
03:39They want us to, like, throw a fit.
03:41It's like, no, we've got to go in with kindness to show them we're not these horrible monsters
03:45they're trying to make us out to be.
03:46So people are always like, are you scared?
03:48Yeah, we are so scared, like anyone else, but we can't operate off fear.
03:58I was going to UTC, University of Tennessee in Chattanooga.
04:02My dad called me and asked me if I would come to the house and come see him.
04:06In about a four-hour conversation, I finally was able to tell him that I was gay.
04:15It's so silly now, so long ago, but it was so hard.
04:20I never felt acceptance.
04:21I never felt support.
04:23I feel like everything really came together when I moved to Knoxville, and that's where
04:27I started doing drag.
04:28And, I mean, it was like everything just clicked.
04:37This morning, when Vivica showed up, she was on the phone with Alexia, and apparently there
04:44were five people that were posted up across the street from the local Nashville Drag Gay
04:53Club.
04:54And apparently they had guns and masks, and one of the young queens here went up to them
05:01and asked them what they were doing.
05:04And they told her to back the f*** up, just watch and see.
05:10So, yeah, that's what we're living with now.
05:40Somebody put alcohol in my water.
05:49Did they?
05:50Do you want more?
05:51Oh, thank you, baby.
05:52Thank you, sisters.
05:53Get out of here.
05:54This is sisterhood.
05:55Get out of here, girl.
05:56True sisterhood.
05:57Sisterhood at its finest.
05:58Clink, clink.
05:59Hey.
06:00Hi, clink, clink.
06:01Clink, clink.
06:02Drink, drink.
06:04The place isn't going anywhere now.
06:13Please welcome to the stage, it is Vidalia Ann Gentry and Brittany Banks!
06:27I would say Brittany Banks is a southern, Amazon, glamorous diva.
06:34Socialite.
06:35I mean, all the things.
06:37The big costumes, feathers, sequins, fringe.
06:40I just love it all.
06:41I'm very much a showgirl.
06:46I do shows that are for all ages.
06:48I do shows that have been for children.
06:50I've done shows that have been only for adults.
06:52And you just have to know your audience and know the venue you're going to be in, just
06:55like any other performance, right?
06:57Do you all know what that means?
06:59Yeah.
07:00I heard the sopranos.
07:01We're going to record the bass.
07:02This is one of my former students.
07:03Wait, I forgot that you're a teacher.
07:04Oh my God.
07:05Can I use the teacher?
07:06This is one of my former students!
07:07Here, here, here.
07:08Everybody give it up for...
07:09I was her teacher, and she's here, and she supports us, and she's loving, and we love
07:10everybody for being here.
07:11Thank you so much!
07:12It's a lot of fun.
07:13It's a lot of fun.
07:14It's a lot of fun.
07:15It's a lot of fun.
07:16It's a lot of fun.
07:17It's a lot of fun.
07:18It's a lot of fun.
07:19It's a lot of fun.
07:21She's here, and she supports us, and she's loving, and we love everybody for being here.
07:24Thank you so much!
07:25It's a lot of fun.
07:26It's a lot of fun.
07:27It's a lot of fun.
07:28It's a lot of fun.
07:29Drag has really taught me about me, you know, and really accepting myself, and it's brought
07:36me so much happiness, and so much joy, and, I mean, I really don't know what I would do
07:41without it.
07:45Like I'm not going to cry, but like, this is f***ing amazing.
07:48I'm going to cry for just a moment, and then I'm going to build you back up.
07:51Just a minute.
07:52Like one time.
07:53There's like one tear.
07:54There's like one.
07:55The drug ban is yet to go into effect as a federal judge has placed a temporary restraining
07:59order on the law, claiming that it violates First Amendment rights.
08:03This restraining order will last until May 26th.
08:06Especially if you tap on it, it will stop.
08:09That's Davidson County tap water right there.
