Branson Determined to Become More Boring, Passes Drag Show Limits

In a move to make the tourist spot even more boring than it's already become, Branson's governing body voted to restrict drag shows last night.

The Branson Board of Aldermen voted 3-2 to limit drag shows to a certain part of town where the "obscene" performances would not disturb residential life.

The board has yet to take a final vote on the matter, but if it passes, drag shows would only be allowed in Branson's downtown district, an area contains the city's least amount of commercial land, Missouri Independent reports. In a fact sheet of the measure, city staff explained the downtown district was created for "adult entertainment" and was a place where people could reasonably expect to encounter "cultural institutions."

Controlling or banning drag performances was a hot topic in the Missouri legislature last session. Though measures to curb drag did not pass, small-town municipalities have considered taking the matter into their own hands.


In  Branson, drag performances would need a special-use permit and venues hosting the shows could not be located within 600 feet of a religious institution, school, public park, church or residential property. All openings, entries and windows to  such "drag show establishments" must "prevent view into such facilities"

If this seems like a superfluous issue for elected officials to focus on, some Bransonites would agree. While some testified in favor of the measure last night, others wondered why drag shows were a topic of importance at all.

"We have many serious problems in our community, many of which we hid in the name of image and profit," Reverend Bruce Peterson said. "Compared to these serious problems, drag shows are a small problem. They don't threaten our way of life. It's time to get over discomfort about drag shows." 
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