Montgomery’s LGBTQ+ community will march today to protest a bill making its way through the state’s House of Representatives.
House Bill 401 was introduced on April 27th. The Alabama House of Representatives has yet to decide on the legislation.
If the bill is passed, drag performances in schools, libraries and other public spaces would be illegal. This is because the bill would revise Alabama’s existing obscenity law to include public drag performances. Alabamians would face up to a year in jail or $10,000 in fines for their first offense.
Jerry Ehlen is the owner of B-Bob’s Downtown, a gay bar and nightclub in Mobile. Ehlen said House Bill 401 would severely restrict the rights of fellow Alabamians.
“I think it's an infringement on the First Amendment,” he expressed. “Drag has been around for generations. It has become quite a large part of pop culture right now. You shouldn't be taking rights away from a certain group of people. That goes back to freedom of expression, freedom to be yourself [and] not hav[ing] someone else control your life.”
Montgomery Pride United and other organizers and protestors will march beginning at 11 a.m. today from the state Supreme Court building to the state capitol and state house.
Ehlen is one of many Alabamians participating in the upcoming march. He said it’s important to protest against the bill to prevent any restrictions on where queer Alabamians can express themselves.
“Right now there's a variety of choices,” he said. “There's brunches [and] Pride in the Park. There’s different city sponsored events. It will just take away people's freedom of expression or even the customers that want to be entertained. It will force them in a different direction. These people are not doing anything to harm anyone.”
A similar march was held this past weekend in Mobile.
