Photo: Getty Images
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee is facing criticism for what some people say is hypocrisy.
The Daily Beast featured a headline that sums it up.
“Bill Lee is set to sign a bill that will make drag performances illegal in the state—a crime he may have committed in high school.”
The governor has said he will sign the bill that would make drag shows illegal. The law says "male and female impersonators" would be declared adult cabaret performers. The law will ban “adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors" under the obscenity laws of TN. The fine could be up to $3,000 and time in prison for drag show performers.
But when his high school yearbook pictured Bill Lee in drag, his opponents went to town on it.
During the press conference he held Monday, a reporter asked “Do you remember dressing in drag in 1977? Is it only illegal when gay people do it?”.
When confronted with the question and a printed-out copy of the photo, Governor Lee looked enraged. He spat out his response loudly, saying “What a ridiculous, ridiculous question that is. Conflating something like that to sexualized entertainment in front of children, which is a very serious subject.”