Branson’s Board of Aldermen will hold a public hearing Tuesday night, July 25, on a proposed ordinance to restrict drag shows in the town.
The meeting will get underway at 6 at Branson City Hall. It will also be livestreamed.
Those who wish to speak can sign up at the front door of the Council Chambers prior to the start of the meeting.
One of those who plans to speak against the restrictions is Kevin Vaughan-Shirley. He and his husband T-Roy L Shirley Vaughan are promoters of drag shows at Mr. Glencho’s in Branson.
He said he hopes people realize that Branson needs a place for the LGBT community.
"Because it's a drag show, yeah, but it's about more than a drag show," said Vaughan-Shirley. "It's about giving our community a place that we can feel safe and be free around other people."
Supporters of the ordinance have said allowing drag shows goes against the city’s family-friendly atmosphere and morals.
City Attorney Joe Lauber told the Branson Planning Commission in early July it is “constitutionally challenging to create this type of legislation.”
The ordinance that was created, he said, imposes tighter restrictions on drag shows through three elements: Defining the term “drag show” and drag show establishments, limiting drag shows to the downtown zoning district and requiring a special permit before an establishment could be used for a drag show.
