The conservative-led Ohio Supreme Court rejected a proposed Bellefontaine city ballot measure that would ban drag shows in public places, saying Ohio’s Secretary of State and others changed key languages in the proposal after gathering thousands of signatures for the referendum, the Columbus Dispatch reports.
The court ruled that changes made to the measure made by Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and other supporters of the measure changed the fundamental operation of the proposal, which originally stated it would create a new law, but when revised amounted to a change to existing law on allowing public performance and demonstrations.
Five citizens sponsored the measure, which sprung from the appearance of a drag performer dressed as an elf in a 2022 Christmas parade in the city. The performer simply marched in the parade, a peaceful public appearance that cannot be tolerated by right-wing culture warriors.