Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has formally intervened in a local dispute, sending a strongly worded letter to the Pensacola City Council urging them to immediately cancel the upcoming performance of “A Drag Queen Christmas” at the city-owned Saenger Theatre.
In the letter, AG Uthmeier argued that the show, scheduled for December 23, openly mocks the Christian faith and poses a threat to the community’s moral fabric, especially given its proximity to the city’s family-friendly Winterfest celebration.
Uthmeier condemned the annual drag show, referring to it as part of the “Naughty Tour” that claims to put the “Ho Ho Ho Into The Holidays.” He cited specific performers and themes, stating the show features anti-Christian and “demonic” imagery.
“A previous production featured a male performer boasting the stage name ‘Trinity ‘The Tuck’ Taylor’—a not-so-subtle stab at the fundamental doctrine of Christianity,” the letter stated. Uthmeier also noted this year’s lineup includes performers like the “Demon Queen of Seattle,” lauded for his “demon inspired, kink-positive” costume, and “Crystal Methyd,” who reportedly “dresses up as the devil to make satanic imagery ‘glamorous and beautiful.'”
Uthmeier stressed that the event is scheduled for downtown just two days before Christmas, concurrently with the city’s Winterfest, arguing, “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.”
Dispute Over City’s Authority
The core of Uthmeier’s argument rests on the City of Pensacola’s contractual authority over the Saenger Theatre, which is owned by the City but managed by Legends Global.
The City has reportedly stated it does not believe the event presents a risk to the public health, safety, or general welfare that would justify intervention. AG Uthmeier, however, challenged the City’s interpretation of its management agreement.
He contended that the agreement’s provisions, which give the City the right to “review and approve the kind and quality of events,” provide the City with “unfettered discretion” to cancel the event. He dismissed the City’s claim that its hands are tied, arguing that the City admits it can exercise editorial control if an event is “injurious to the public health, safety, or general welfare of the community,” a standard he asserts the drag show clearly meets.
Legal Warnings Issued
The letter concluded with a warning of potential legal ramifications for the city if the show is allowed to proceed.
Uthmeier claimed that permitting “city-sanctioned religious mockery” could amount to religious discrimination and constitute a public nuisance. Furthermore, he warned that if any of the performers were to expose themselves near the children at Winterfest, the City “could share in liability resulting from charges of obscenity or lewd or lascivious exhibition.”
The Attorney General urged the Council to reconsider their position, stating, “The risks are too significant, the outcry too pronounced, and the solution too apparent. You can—and you should—cancel this obscene, anti-religious drag show.”
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