Gov. Ron DeSantis Admin Revokes Alcohol License of Venue Over ‘Drag Queen Christmas’ With Children

The administration of Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis punished a venue for putting on a sexually explicit drag show with small children in the audience which is illegal in Florida. As a result, they have lost their liquor license. This is a big deal as out-of-town visitors frequent the hotel bars and at which the prices assure the hotel will make a hefty profit. This will hit them where it hurts. If their bar is closed, they may lose guests to other hotels.

In December venues were warned about drag shows that allowed children to attend, especially sexually explicit shows like the one held at the Hyatt Regency Miami. But, of course venues run by liberals are used to getting their way, but not under the watch of Gov Ron DeSantis. The man doesn’t bluff.

Bryan Griffin, press secretary for DeSantis issued a press release:

“Sexually explicit content is not appropriate to display to children and doing so violates Florida law. Governor DeSantis stands up for the innocence of children in the classroom and throughout Florida.”

Characters included “Screwdolph the Red-Nippled Reindeer”. The complaint accused the drag show included performers who committed “acts of simulated sexual activity, and lewd, vulgar, and indecent displays.”

Among those were the following:

• Performers forcibly penetrating or rubbing exposed prosthetic female breasts against faces of audience members
• Intentionally exposing performers’ prosthetic female breasts and genitalia to the audience
• Intentionally exposing performers’ buttocks to the audience
• Simulating masturbation through performers’ digitally penetrating prosthetic female genitalia

From The Blaze

The venue reportedly allowed children to attend if they were accompanied by an adult.

DeSantis had been praised by many on the right for the warnings issued to venues in December.

“To avoid action being taken against your license, it is your obligation to ensure that minors are prohibited from attending the Drag Fans drag show. If minors are allowed to attend this drag show, the Department will take any and all actions available to ensure that you do not pose a threat to minors in the future,” wrote Melanie Griggin, the secretary of business and professional regulation, at the time.

DeSantis is widely considered to be among the top contenders for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, though he has not yet officially declared a presidential campaign.

Here’s more about the Drag Queen Christmas controversy:

From The National Review

During the December break, the high-end hotel hosted “A Drag Queen Christmas” featuring prosthetic genitals, performers rubbing fake breasts on audience members, “simulated masturbation” as well as “graphic depictions of childbirth and/or abortion,” a complaint filed with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) reported.

Despite the nature of the performance, Hyatt Regency Miami did not warn prospective attendees of its explicit nature, insisting that “all ages [were] welcome,” the complaint added.

The Hyatt Regency Miami had been warned earlier by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation that if it hosted a “sexually explicit show with children present,” it would face sanctions.

While the hotel later appended an “18+” disclaimer following the complaint on forthcoming marketing material, it still admitted minors into the performance which featured members of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“As a result, minors attended and were knowingly admitted,” the complaint asserted. “During the Show and in the presence of persons less than 16 years of age, performers appeared on stage wearing sexually suggestive clothing and prosthetic female genitalia.”