Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier was widely mocked for demanding that a Christmas-theme drag show in Pensacola be shut down due to the fact that family-friendly Winterfest will be happening at the same time, even though the drag show he's so upset about is happening inside a theater, away from view.
The Saenger Theatre is set to host A Drag Queen Christmas on December 23. According to the event’s website, attendees can “expect a fabulous remix of classic Christmas hits, dazzling themed variety performances, and interactive moments to share your Christmas cheer.”
The Pensacola city attorney has reportedly declined to cancel the event, arguing that doing so would violate both the drag show company’s First Amendment rights and the city’s contract with the theater’s management.
Uthmeier, however, countered that because the city owns the theater, it retains the authority to overrule the management company if a performance is deemed harmful to public health or safety. He claimed the drag show fits that description, citing its proximity to children attending Winterfest—even though the performance itself will not be visible to them.
Uthmeier took to X, where he shared screenshots of a letter he addressed to the Pensacola City Council lamenting that "while Pensacola children are taking pictures with Santa, men dressed as garish women in demonic costumes will be engaged in obscene behavior mere feet away."
He wrote:
"Two days before Christmas, Pensacola will host a demonic, sexually explicit drag show at the city-owned Saenger Theatre. Pensacola shouldn’t platform obscenities that denigrate its residents and expose kids to harmful content. They should cancel the event."
You can see his post below.
Uthmeier was swiftly called out.
It’s worth noting that the day before Pensacola’s scheduled performance, A Drag Queen Christmas is set to take the stage at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg—another city-owned venue. Uthmeier has not called on that city to cancel its show.
Additionally, Uthmeier’s letter did not include any indication that he would provide Pensacola a legal defense if the city were sued for canceling the event.
During an October city council meeting, Saenger Theatre Manager Jeffery Sharp, an employee of Legend Global, told council members that the company is solely responsible for booking decisions at the venue. He added that each event is thoroughly reviewed to ensure it can be held responsibly.
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