A Hyatt hotel in Florida faces losing its liquor license. It’s all because of a seasonal drag show that was open to those under 18 if accompanied by an adult.
‘A Drag Queen Christmas’ took place at the 4,500-seat James L. Knight Center. The venue is associated with the Hyatt Regency Miami. The show toured 36 venues in the run-up to the holidays and featured Drag Race alum such as Nina West.
The Florida Department of Business has filed a 17-page complaint against the owners of the Hyatt Regency Miami. It accuses the hotel of breaking several violations and wants to yank its liquor license.
The DoB says “promotional materials that did not provide notice as to the sexually explicit nature of the Show’s performances or other content.” It goes on to state, “performers appeared on stage wearing sexually suggestive clothing and prosthetic female genitalia.” They also rubbed “their exposed prosthetic female breasts against the faces or oral cavities of audience members.”
The department says it can revoke a liquor license if a venue allows a “Lewd or Lascivious Exhibition” in front of minors.
The complaint was filed yesterday. The department has yet to make a final decision. According to Business Insider, Hyatt Regency Miami has 21 days to request a hearing on the matter. Until a final decision is made, it can continue to sell alcohol.
Amir Blattner, the general manager of the Hyatt Regency Miami told Insider the hotel was reviewing the complaint. They said events at the Knight center were booked by a third party, and the Hyatt organized the food and drink side of things.
“Governor DeSantis stands up for the innocence of children”
The complaint has the backing of Governor Ron DeSantis.
“Sexually explicit content is not appropriate to display to children and doing so violates Florida law,” Bryan Griffin, DeSantis’ press secretary, told Business Insider. “Governor DeSantis stands up for the innocence of children in the classroom and throughout Florida.”
However, don’t expect a ruling any time soon. A legal expert said such complaints can take time to resolve.
Louis J. Terminello is an attorney who teaches alcoholic beverage law at the University of Miami School of Law. He told Tampa Bay Times, “These types of cases can take up to a year and a half to two years to resolve.”
The state is still investigating other venues that hosted ‘A Drag Queen Christmas’ last December, including one in Fort Lauderdale.
It filed a similar complaint against R House in Wynwood, Miami over its drag brunch last August. That complaint remains open and the venue continues to serve alcohol.
Mister P
We need to actively stand with our drag queen sisters in fighting this nonsense. Loss of rights for anyone is a loss for us all.
KiraNerysRules
100%!!!!
WillParkinson
So much this!
abfab
And there needs to be a Cherry Grove to The Pines style INVASION of The Queens and Kings on every major city in all of these hick states. BIG! THIS YEAR!
KiraNerysRules
I want to know why this rule isn’t being applied to movie theaters for R-Rated films. People take their kids to R-Rated films all the time. I would love for these idiots to tell me the difference without sounding like huge bigots.
One other thing. I am so over Republicans claiming they want a small, less-regulated government, yet they always use this “think of the children” crap whenever they want to regulate something that poses no harm.
Let’s regulate women’s bodies because of the children. Let’s tell teachers not to teach factual history because of the children. Let’s go after drag shows because of the children. Let’s remove these books from the public library because of the children. It’s absolutely exhausting and obviously hypocritical.
WillParkinson
+1!
liquidskyny
or churches losing their tax-exempt status when a prienst is caught being a pedophile!
abfab
Word.
Openminded
Not just theatres. Home Television crosses that line nightly. I’m in TN and anxious to see what happens when a television show has a drag queen on it or if shows like RuPaul’s drag contest will be censored from local broadcast.
RIGay
It was on thing when the Giant Floating Orange Trump spouted off all is anit-immigration nonsense while running for office. Most of the GOP thought “Naaa! That won’t happen! He’s just saying that!”. But it did. And ten times worse.
This time around, DeShithead is already in office and getting these vile laws passed to use as his platform for a presidential run. Anyone supporting him is just… vile.
Openminded
I’m afraid DeSantis will make Trump look like a saint if he were to be elected Pres. DeSantis has the same Trump anti-LGBTQ mindset but he also has a much sharper mind and obviously loves to flex his authority.
abfab
“Sexually explicit content is not appropriate to display to children and doing so violates Florida law,” Lumpy Pillows, DeSantis’ press secretary, told Business Insider. “Governor DeSantis stands up for the innocence of children in the classroom and throughout Florida.”
LumpyPillows
Oooh, I’ve gotten in your head. Scary in there.
No idea why you would even say this.
dbmcvey
DeSantis and all these people might think they’re standing up for the “innocence” of children but they’re not standing up for the lives of children. They do nothing about school violence and their actions will definitely result in self harm for many young trans people.
Of course, Lumpy doesn’t care about them because he said trans adolescents are horrible.
JaredNorthcutt30
Good for Ron DeSantis.
abfab
Deep.
LumpyPillows
Looks very petty of DeSantis.
dbmcvey
So we know Jared is pro-fascist.
JaredNorthcutt30
How is Ron DeSantis ‘fascist?’ That’s just a word y’all have used since the Bush administration. By that same token, Gavin Newsom is equally fascist using the strong arm of the state to punish corporations (Walgreens) complying with state laws.
dbmcvey
@JarenNorthcutt30
The better question is how is DeSantis not a fascist?
greekboy
All this because someone made fun of Ron DiShorts high heels
abfab
Those Nancy Sinatra white booties…classic moments in time.
Tombear
It’s called fascist behavior and DeSantis is a facist.
inbama
Organizers of early pride parades tried to keep drag queens like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera from marching in the front rows.
Well, over-privileged cis white males are no longer calling the shots. Sit back and enjoy the ride, everybody!
Mack
Tallahassee Mussolini thinks he is better than the parents of the kids now. Perhaps everyone needs to drop their kids off at the Governor’s mansion and let him take care of them for the day. But he won’t. Hell he probably doesn’t even spend time with his kids.
Ellipse Kirk
Tallahassolini is a perfect moniker for Ron.
Fname Optional Lname
They know how popular Drag Race is and they have no authority to stop it. They absolutely hate that there are teenage fans and parents of those teenagers who don’t blink an eye. The fact that teenagers are exposed to sexually suggestive content in an average television commercial matters not because they are coming for the community and could not care less about saving the children. They must know that the Drag Race fans can watch as many queens as they want on the internet. Going to a Drag Show accompanied by an adult is the same as taking a teenager to an R rated movie. Ignore the fact that a child of any age can watch people get murdered on tv just by randomly changing the channels. No outrage about that >?
They’ll be coming for DragCon next. No matter how many times I tell myself “that will never happen” when I think of the limits, laws and restrictions they are trying to impose — I have to then remember that Trump got elected.
Openminded
Depressing, but true.
abfab
Where is Tipper Gore when you need her!
DBMC
So he’s actively working against businesses in Florida. What a GrEaT representative.