Arkansas House approves bill that would restrict 'adult-oriented performances'

‘Adult-oriented’ bill passes 78-15, now returns to Senate

Rep. Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock, speaks against SB43, which would define drag shows as an adult-oriented performance, during the House session on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, at the state Capitol in Little Rock. .(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)
Rep. Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock, speaks against SB43, which would define drag shows as an adult-oriented performance, during the House session on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, at the state Capitol in Little Rock. .(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

The Arkansas House on Monday endorsed along party lines a proposed law that aims to restrict "adult-oriented performances."

Senate Bill 43, which previously attempted to regulate "drag performances," passed in a 78-15 vote. The legislation, filed by Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, will return to the Senate for further consideration.

The proposed law defines an "adult-oriented performance" as a show "intended to appeal to the prurient interest and that features a person who appears in a state of nudity or is semi-nude; the purposeful exposure, whether complete or partial, of a specific anatomical area, or prosthetic genitalia or breasts; or a specific sexual activity."

The legislation would bar an "adult-oriented performance" from taking place on public property, admitting minors or being "funded in whole or in part with public funds."

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