Drag Show Investigated by Florida Featured ‘Screwdolph the Red Nippled Reindeer’

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Hannah Knudsen

The sexually explicit drag show prompting an investigation from Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) did, in fact, allow minors to attend the event, as the events are open to “all ages” unless otherwise specified, according to the show’s website.

Bryan Griffin, press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), released a statement regarding the drag show on Tuesday and said that DBPR was made aware of “multiple complaints about a sexually explicit performance marketed to children held in Fort Lauderdale on December 26th.” As a result, the agency is “actively investigating the matter.”

“DPBR will, like in other cases, take action,” the statement reads, adding that “exposing children to sexually explicit activity is a crime in Florida, and such action violates the Department’s licensing standards for operating a business and holding a liquor license.”

“The Department will share any collected evidence with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for potential criminal liability,” it added.

While critics contend that the show was not specifically “marketed to children,” the drag show’s website specifically states that “All our events are ‘All Ages Welcome’ unless otherwise noted on the marketing, the ticket or the venue website in each local city.”

Nothing on the flier indicates that children should not attend the event, which featured a sketch from “Screwdolph the Red Nippled Reindeer”:

According to that same attendee, children were, in fact, present at the Fort Lauderdale event:

The stop in Fort Lauderdale was just one of many as part of its national tour. The Democrat mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, attended one of the drag shows, bragging about it on social media:

Independent journalist Tayler Hansen attended one of the shows, in Austin, Texas, and described what he saw. That included “tits in a box,” simulated sex acts, and explicit story time:

DBPR also issued a warning to the Orlando venue hosting the event on Wednesday, instructing them to ensure that minors are “prohibited” from the show.

“If minors are allowed to attend this drag show, the Department will take any and actions available to ensure that you do not pose a threat to minors in the future,” the letter read in part.

Update: This post has been updated to reflect that some upcoming venues provide a warning before purchasing the ticket, one of which reads:

This performance has adult themes and content. Admission is limited to patrons 18 years of age or over, unless accompanied by a parent.

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