Drag shows in Tennessee could go underground this summer, after Gov. Bill Lee signed into law a ban on drag in public spaces.
That could have a chilling effect on the state’s Pride festivals. While new laws typically go into effect on July 1, the bill was quietly amended earlier this year to take effect April 1 — ahead of Pride month in June.
To draw attention to the issue, Knoxville Pride threatened to cancel its festival if the ban passed. But Pride director John Camp says they will have a celebration — even if it’s a march instead of a parade.
“We can’t have a celebration and leave some of our community out,” Camp says. “So, we have to figure out how to continue to have a celebration because we are a proud people, and we have a lot to celebrate.”
Camp says the first Pride was a protest, and so the march is a way for Knoxville’s LGBTQ community to rally together to honor their roots.
The annual Pride festival usually draws a crowd of 75,000 people. Camp says that makes it impossible to switch to an indoor venue to comply with the new law.
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