San Antonio drag company suing the state for its right to perform

A San Antonio drag company challenged a Texas bill in court on Monday. The law, explained in Senate Bill 12, prohibits the performance of drag in the presence of minors and goes into effect on Sept. 1.

Richard Montez and David Gamez are co-owners of 360 Queen Entertainment and plaintiffs in the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Texas’ lawsuit against the bill. For the past year, the company has put on drag shows on the patio of Tomatillos, a family-owned Mexican restaurant in San Antonio.

They held what might have been their last drag show on Friday. “This one has a looming finality to it, because Sept. 1 is when SB12 goes into effect,” Montez said.

SB12 states that “sexually oriented performances” are prohibited on commercial and public property in the presence of minors.

Montez didn't believe that drag is inherently sexual, but after Sept. 1, the perceived sexuality of performances is up for individual discretion.

In the early stages of the bill, the police were called on a show put on by 360 Queen Entertainment.

“This person was very adamant that what we were doing was against the law. They called the police. The police came and said, “No, this is not against the law.” And we were able to go on with the show,” Montez said.