Glenn Jacobs—Republican Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee formerly known as the WWE wrestler Kane—waded into the latest conservative uproar about drag queens performing for kids, saying he would "do everything" within his power to ensure drag shows for all ages "don't happen on Knox County property."
Writing on Twitter, Jacobs added while there is currently "no law on the books" giving him "authority to address what happens in private businesses," he nonetheless affirmed he will "support any effort of our state legislature to prevent the sexualization of children."
You can see his tweets below.
\u201cCurrently, however, no law on the books gives me authority to address what happens in private businesses. I do and will support any effort of our state legislature to prevent the sexualization of our children.\u201d— Glenn Jacobs (@Glenn Jacobs) 1667355520
Jacobs was immediately accused of hypocrisy.
People pointed out during his wrestling years "Kane" performed at events featuring many of the things used in drag being used by stars in the WWE.
And they brought the receipts.
\u201c\u201cWe should not target children with performances where characters wear makeup and outlandish costumes and dance around on stage\u201d says the former professional wrestler.\u201d— TW (@TW) 1667495170
\u201cWere there no kids there when you dressed up in spandex and rolled around with other men, mayor @GlennJacobsTN? #StopSayingYouValueFreedom\u201d— The Knoxville Holler (@The Knoxville Holler) 1667502714
\u201c@GlennJacobsTN You main evented a show that had an Evening Gown Match between two dudes. There were literally thousands of kids in the audiences.\u201d— Glenn Jacobs (@Glenn Jacobs) 1667355520
\u201c@GlennJacobsTN So no children will be allowed at WWE events?\u201d— Glenn Jacobs (@Glenn Jacobs) 1667355520
Others pointed out the WWE regularly exposes children to violent imagery, such as the WWE's frequent use of steel chairs as weapons.
\u201canyways, here\u2019s 10 ruthless chair shots Kane took to the head:\u201d— NHATional Scissoring Day \u2702\ufe0f (@NHATional Scissoring Day \u2702\ufe0f) 1667414872
Jacobs was harshly criticized as a result.
\u201cbut exploiting little girls in beauty pageants and taking your sons to hooters every wing wednesday is acceptable.. if you\u2019re homophobic then just say that.\u201d— William Vercetti (@William Vercetti) 1667523912
\u201cKane, when I was growing up, a colleague of yours named Sexual Chocolate impregnated a 75-year-old woman in a storyline in which she eventually gave birth to a human hand. I was 10 years old when this happened.\n\nThis was marketed to children. I'm fine now. Maybe sit this one out.\u201d— Ben Collins (@Ben Collins) 1667494468
\u201c"I'm 100% for Parental Rights as long as parents raise their kids the way I tell them to." GOP culture warrior, 2022.\u201d— Hurst4Spd (@Hurst4Spd) 1667507226
\u201cDidn\u2019t you attach a car battery to Shane McMahon\u2019s balls on TV?\u201d— ZAMidnightSpookshow (@ZAMidnightSpookshow) 1667431613
\u201cFYI: The mayor clutching his pearls over drag shows was part of a wrestling story where one wrestler accused the other of HAVING SEX WITH A DEAD BODY. There were thousands of children in the live audience.\u201d— The Good Liars (@The Good Liars) 1667428272
Jacobs is the latest GOP politician turning drag shows into conservative manufactured outrage.
Earlier this year, Bryan Slaton, a Texas state Republican Representative, complained about a Dallas gay bar that hosted a family-friendly drag brunch for young children and vowed to introduce legislation to stop what he called the “disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children."
Since then, drag queen story hours have received considerable pusback nationwide from conservatives who have alleged that they are an opportunity to "indoctrinate" children into the LGBTQ+ community rather than an opportunity to impart values of inclusivity and acceptance.
"Violent threats" recently prompted one North Carolina town to cancel a scheduled drag queen story hour during Pride Month festivities.
In June, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio took to Twitter to gloat after shaming an Air Force base into canceling its drag queen story hour.
Rubio said it was "good" the Air Force had canceled the event, which would have featured a drag queen reading stories to young children, after he wrote a letter to them expressing his outrage.