Persistence in the face of adversity: The art of drag and the laws that seek to ban it

Calli Coquette is a 21-year-old transgender drag queen from Perry, Ohio. She is one of many performers across the country who are affected by proposed legislation against the broader LGBTQ+ community; for Calli, drag is an art, a passion — and her full-time job.

House Bill 249, titled the “Indecent Exposure Modernization Act,” was proposed in May 2025 by Representatives Angela King and Josh Williams. It states that “adult cabaret performances,” which is then specified to include “performers or entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer's or entertainer's biological sex using clothing, makeup, prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts, or other physical markers,” are required to exclusively perform in “adult cabaret venues,” where seminudity and sexual content is frequent.