just to live. and yet, here we are. seeing the right of our community members diminish. their voices are silenced, they re very identities denied. our nation has made great strides with filling the fundamental promises of freedom and equality for lgbtq plus americans, but lately something has changed. the arc of progress is bending in ways we did not think possible just five years ago. unjust ways. so far this year, more than 520 anti lgbtq bills have been introduced in state legislatures. that is a record. more than 220 of those bills, specifically, targeted transgender and non-binary people. also a record. and an unprecedented 70 anti lgbtq laws have been enacted just this year. in the past, we have put together pride specials celebrating lgbtq+ individuals and their achievements, first in the white house and then on the stage and screen. achievements that deserve to be celebrated. but tonight, as that progress is threatened like never before, we are going to do something d
unprecedented rates. let me squeeze into questions in the live time that we have left. as you know, drag is an art form that dates back more than a century. one, why are we seeing efforts to criminalize it now and, to, talk about the importance. why is it important to not only defend this art form, but to fight back against attacks on the art form? well, the first known drag artist in our country was william dorsey swan who is born into slavery, the first openly queer person to run for office in this country was jose who is a drag office who ran for the board of supervisors in san francisco. greg is rooted in queer culture and these bands are happening because the right has no platform to run on. wages are staying the same and cost of living is going up, kids are not being provided with meals in schools, there is no gun regulation or gun reform being passed. so they re using a bryant
we have left. as you know, drag is an art form that dates back more than a century. one, why are we seeing efforts to criminalize it now and, to, talk about the importance. why is it important to not only defend this art form, but to fight back against attacks on the art form? well, the first known drag artist in our country was william dorsey swan who is born into slavery, the first openly queer person to run for office in this country was jose who is a drag office who ran for the board of supervisors in san francisco. greg is rooted in queer culture and these bands are happening because the right has no platform to run on. wages are staying the same and cost of living is going up, kids are not being provided with meals in schools, there is no gun regulation or gun reform being passed. so they re using a bryant talking points from the 70s and 80s that was used to target gay people, we have to keep fighting because drag is a art form that celebrates our community and the differen