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Democratic Nebraska state Senator Megan Hunt has proposed an amendment to ban church youth camps for "indoctrination" in response to GOP-sponsored legislation that would make it a crime for children to attend a drag show.
Hunt is aware that her amendment to LB 371—the bill in question—will not pass but says proposing it nonetheless is imperative to “make a point” about attempts by Republicans around the country who have ramped up attacks against LGBTQ+ people and used drag shows as a scapegoat.
LB 371 defines a drag show as any performance in which the person “exhibits a gender identity that is different than the performer’s gender assigned at birth using clothing, makeup, or other physical markers” and “sings, lip syncs, dances, or otherwise performs before an audience for entertainment.”
Hunt countered that with her proposal, which states that by that same token, children should not be allowed to attend vacation Bible study or any similar “religious indoctrination” camps, and also filed a motion to kill the entire bill.
\u201cThis is an amendment that I will use to make a point about the underlying bill, LB371, which bans all-ages drag shows. It won\u2019t pass, I would withdraw it if it had the votes to pass. It\u2019s a device to make a point. We need not clench nor worry.\u201d— Senator Megan Hunt (@Senator Megan Hunt) 1674918243
Hunt's amendment says “there is a well-documented history of indoctrination and sexual abuse perpetrated by religious leaders and clergy people upon children" at places like church camps, religious retreats, and vacation Bible study which are designed "for the purpose of indoctrinating children with a specific set of religious beliefs.”
Moreover, any religious organization that violates the proposed law would face a Class I misdemeanor, which carries a $10,000 fine.
"No individual under nineteen years of age shall be present at a religious indoctrination camp. Any person nineteen years of age or older who knowingly brings an individual under nineteen years of age to a religious indoctrination camp shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor."
Hunt's amendment notes that abusers within churches and other religious institutions "often use events like church or youth-group-sponsored camps and retreats to earn children’s trust and gain unsupervised access to such children in order to commit such abuse.”
It's also offers a counterweight to the ongoing "groomer" hysteria among the right-wing, who've accused LGBTQ+ people of building relationships, trust, and emotional connections with children so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them.
People have applauded Hunt's move.
\u201cThe Democrat, State Sen. Megan Hunt, filed the amendment to prove a point. It's a point well made.\u201d— \u14aa\u15e9\u144e\u1455\u15f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@\u14aa\u15e9\u144e\u1455\u15f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1675135914
\u201cI can proudly say I donated to Megan Hunt, the member who introduced this bill\u201d— Brayden (@Brayden) 1675203061
And the whole point is to keep the drag show bill from passing. What a champion. We need more like this woman to stand ground.
— victory (@vlcassells) January 31, 2023
We need more people who pass laws that blatantly call out hypocrisy
— Earth Maiden Arjuna 🧚♂️🏹 (@cj_parslow) January 31, 2023
Pure genius! Love it!
— Sue LaPrelle (@suzfx) January 31, 2023
Honestly though taking your child to a drag show is probably safer than sending him/her to a religious camp..
— Lauren Scarborough (@LaurenScarbor10) January 28, 2023
Democrats need to do more of this. Push back against the republicons as hard as possible. No more complacency
— JCW🌈 🏳️⚧️ (@JCW14988390) February 1, 2023
\u201cWe need more people like Megan Hunt.\u201d— Sam Lowen (@Sam Lowen) 1675196686
Hunt is the latest state lawmaker to push back against Republican rhetoric about drag performances.
Earlier this week, Democratic Arkansas state Senator Greg Leding made headlines for his takedown of GOP-sponsored legislation to classify drag shows the same as strip clubs.
Leding pointed out Arkansas has a low ranking on more pressing child welfare issues in an impassioned speech on the Senate floor, noting that the legislation "will hurt kids, particularly kids who struggle to feel welcome and safe and accepted as though they belong in Arkansas."