A performing arts center in part funded by Tennessee taxpayers hosted an “all ages” drag show last month as Republicans in the Volunteer State propose protecting children from “sexually explicit” performances. 

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the James K. Polk Theatre, a part of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), hosted a presentation of “A Drag Queen Christmas,” which was put on by Murray & Peter Present. The event was advertised on Facebook as open for “all ages.” 

The performance comes as State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson has introduced legislation that would prohibit children from being exposed to sexually explicit drag and other performances

Johnson told The Daily Wire his legislation might apply to the performance at TPAC depending on if the drag performance was sexually explicit or not. 

“I think we would all agree that some of the video we have seen recently of some of these drag shows that were quote-unquote family-friendly were anything but that. And If I had attended one of those with my kids I would have been mortified and I would have wanted someone to be prosecuted for engaging in that kind of entertainment in front of my kids,” he said.  

He added that he was “cautiously optimistic” that his legislation would pass in the upcoming legislative session.

Jade Byers, a spokeswoman for Republican Governor Bill Lee, told The Daily Wire that “The Governor is grateful to Leader Johnson for his efforts on this important issue, and we look forward to working with the General Assembly to pass legislation that protects Tennessee children.” 

According to program details, it was the eighth year that such a performance has been held at the venue. Video from performances of the Christmas drag show  in other locations has emerged that appears to be explicit. 

TPAC receives some funding through the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC), a state government-sanctioned group to invest “public dollars” in projects that promote the state’s cultural life. 

The TAC is listed as a “high impact” partner of TPAC. According to the TAC, money it designated in 2022 for TPAC went toward programs such as teacher training, afterschool programs, and theater performances for lifelong learners. 

The TAC also designated about $1.9 million in federal money to TPAC over revenue loss due to the pandemic. The TAC did not comment on whether it was appropriate to send state funds to TPAC given its promotion and hosting of the drag Christmas show open to children. 

A review of state budgets also shows that Tennessee allocates about $300,000 per year to TPAC, which TPAC says goes toward state “facilities in the Polk Cultural Center and the historic War Memorial Auditorium” that it operates. 

According to Tony Marks, the vice president of marketing and communications for TPAC, the arts center has a “strong working relationship” with the state of Tennessee. “As a result, we are aware of these concerns and will take them into consideration related to venue rental decisions going forward,” Marks told The Daily Wire. 

Murray & Peter Present’s drag Christmas show tour, which began in November, will conclude on December 29 after several performances in Florida. 

The following is the opening satirical monologue from “The Andrew Klavan Show.“

Well, it’s Christmas, and you know what that means, and neither do I. This is the day when God came into the world to tell us to stop judging and to forgive one another, which of course we have absolutely no intention of doing, so we better buy a lot of presents and maybe that’ll get us off the hook. Also, we can gather around the television and watch “A Christmas Carol” in which Scrooge learns to love his neighbors and give his money away, and that always brings a tear to our eyes because we’re not going to do that either. For one thing, my neighbor’s a jackass, plus it’s my damn money, so stop bothering me, I’m trying to watch “A Christmas Carol.”

Now on the first Christmas Eve, as we all remember from a “Charlie Brown Christmas Special,” the shepherds were watching their flocks or washing their socks or something with ocks in it, although actually the ox was in the manger with the baby Jesus, probably washing his socks. I don’t remember the story exactly, but I think there were some wise men who came from the east, maybe the Hamptons, possibly Persia, and they gave the baby expensive presents like gold and frankincense and myrrh. And Jesus was probably like, “What am I gonna do with myrrh? I don’t even know what that is.” And the wise men were like, “Just take the presents and stop telling us to love our neighbors okay, because, believe me, if you knew our neighbors, you wouldn’t be saying that.” Which, if that’s any indication, they were probably from the Hamptons, since some of the people in Persia are pretty nice.

And because Jesus was born, everybody changed and became good, and you could tell everyone was good because they had signs outside their houses that said, “Love is love,” and “No one is illegal.” And Jesus was like, “What is with ‘Love is love,’ that doesn’t even mean anything. What, do you people just babble stupid nonsense and think that gets you points with me? Plus if no one is illegal, how come when all those illegals came to Martha’s Vineyard, you bused them out of there so fast, Jill Biden could only say they were as unique as a breakfast tac, because she didn’t have enough time to get to O before the whole combination plate was back on the mainland. I guess that’s ‘Love is love’ for you, ya stupid shmucks. Yeah, that’s Yiddish. Know why? I’m a Jew. So that’s another thing: stop waving those crosses around and hating on Jewish people, or you’ll get a big surprise and you won’t like it. I’ll show you ‘Love is love,’ ya fakakta goyim.’”

Personally, I think by the time the first Christmas was over, Jesus was pretty much fed up with the whole business.

Anyway, another important thing about Christmas is gathering with family, those bastards. Over Thanksgiving, the Biden administration issued some guidelines on how to respond if your conservative uncle criticized President Biden by pointing out he practically destroyed the economy, set the streets on fire with crime, abandoned the rule of law in order to dismantle our borders, and fell under the sway of a fetishistic fad by defending the sexual butchering of young people on the basis of zero science. Now, I don’t know what the administration’s recommended response actually was because, let’s face it, in this chaos, who cares? But I thought it would be a good idea if we conservatives could issue some guidelines of our own on how to respond if, say, your leftist brother-in-law should come to Christmas dinner and start spouting off about how Donald Trump was a threat to democracy because of some damn fool thing he thinks happened that obviously didn’t. Now remember, it’s Christmas, so you don’t want to start an argument and ruin everybody’s dinner. Just quietly take your brother-in-law aside and show him the pictures you took of him messing around with the pool boy and tell him the next time you storm the capitol, you expect to see him right there next to you smearing crap on the walls of Congress like any other good patriot.

So that’s my Christmas message this year. And remember, Jesus wants us to love and forgive one another, so buy a lotta-lotta presents because basically, that’s all we got going for us. And don’t forget the myrrh.

Andrew Klavan Is the host of The Andrew Klavan Show at The Daily Wire. A popular political satirist and Hollywood screenwriter, Klavan is also an award-winning novelist. Be sure to order his new novel today: A Strange Habit of Mind, book two in the Cameron Winter Mystery series.

The views expressed in this satirical article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.