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hello, v0 to three-to-one, three-to-one today with violet birth, we have schreiber tonight, did nine on cnn welcome, to the whole, store i'm anderson cooper, drag is an odd form that's been around for centuries, including shakespeare's times. women weren't allowed back then to appear on stage. so man dressed up to play the roles of female characters drag performances have evolved a lot over the decades, exploding in mainstream popularity in recent years with tv hits like rupaul's drag race. but now it's also become a political target. republican lawmakers and six days have passed laws aimed at restricting drag performances and places where children are present. the laws have been amended, blocked, are currently being challenged in federal courts. over the next hour, cnn's randy k digs into the colorful history of drag it takes a look at how and why its come under attack this. >> is how it begins yes, it is always starts with the foundation can sealer and foundation. >> right well, concealed. he just got some foundational not yet, but give me a few years. >> i probably well, we're going to let off quite how long does it take you to get all made up but phone drag it varies. would on average, you're talking 30 or 40 minutes, but the transition from your average homosexual to ravishing drag queen interesting it's good to see the process step by step. >> some can enjoy every bit it's my moment to just take myself into a whole another world and just be happy despite whatever going around at the palace bar and restaurant in miami south beach well, tiffany tiffany phantasia is lip-sync into the song, rather be by clean banded so she is slang. that's a drag term for killing it. she's been performing and drag for 20 years in drag. i feel more powerful i feel three. i feel independent. i feel love, i feel joy, especially when i'm seeing some papers i love. the freedom of expression. i love making somebody has, i love the glitz and glam because no matter what i'm going through a growing through somebody else, is that energy and for those five minutes nothing matters what do you think is the draw for an audience? >> why do you think people? i tend to directions because it's different. >> it goes against the status quo. it challenges society we are told as we grow up, you're supposed to act this way, talk this way to this man. that third and here's some body defying all events and performing for you. whether seeing live our lives, thinking or whatever they're defying the social norm, they're going against eagle and that's fascinating for a lot of people drag has fascinated audiences for more than a century there were hugely popular drag balls in harlem during the roaring 20s in the 50s and 60s, crowds packed into clubs featuring what were referred to at the time as female impersonators before a backlash shove, drag into the shadows but perhaps no one has helped bring dragged back into the spotlight today more than dragged superstar rupaul's with the tv competition show rupaul's drag race? >> sashay, away. >> but a hit show has been running for 16 seasons collecting a whopping 29 emmy awards along the way. >> rupaul's world. of wonder production company has built a drag empire launching drag race tv franchises. >> these type of good is minus zeta, a call in more than a dozen countries around the world. >> ready, i can show. was on drag race. the audience is connecting with the tenacity of the human spirit that's what that show is really about when you you tear it down to just nuts and bolts we all relate to someone who has been cast off and they prove us wrong. >> i remember, you can't love yourself. >> how the how you go, love somebody out. >> thanks in part to rue rupaul's drag has become more popular than ever. there are dragged branches, drag dinner shows, drag beauty pageants even drag bingo wright, eric, he was we're getting so close to me drag is the main attraction every new year's eve in key west, florida afraid at all, you're just kind of dangling up here a crowd of enthusiasts so revelers counts down to midnight as a drag queen descends from the balcony at this bar in a giant high-heeled shoe we found that queen of this. >> i've reported live from these it's devotees for years. and now i'm left wondering how did this can't be form of entertainment becomes such a target for the political right. like it is here in my home state of florida republican lawmakers and right-wing leaders across the country are pushing through laws restricting drag shows the law here in florida signed by republican governor ron desantis it aimed at banning children from attending drag shows. it blocks venues are publicly permitted events from admitting children to an adult live performance which according to the law includes any performance that quote, depicts or simulates the lwd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts there are these like these drag shows sexually explicit in what they're doing in luck adult entertainment, people can do what they want with some of that, but there should not be any of these kids. >> they're the law is up in the air now after a federal judge put it on hold pending a state appeals supporters of the restrictions claim that drag shows are harmful to children. some accused drag queens of being child a derogatory term often used to demonize members of the lgbtq community as pedophiles good the desantis administration filed a complaint against the miami restaurant. our house accusing it of exposing minors to what it called sexually explicit drag shows and threatening to pull its liquor license after a state investigation found no unlawful content in the performances the venue, which denied any wrongdoing, agreed to pay a $10,000 administrative fine and set a minimum age requirement of 18 for their drag shows read coming to your city. does desantis officials also threatened to yank the liquor licenses of the plaza live theatre in orlando, and the hyatt regency in miami for hosting an event called a drag queen christmas we're minors accompanied by their parents, were present even though a report by undercover state agents acknowledged they did not witness any lewd acts. >> both settled for a $5,000 fine. >> it is specifically intended with the heightened penalties ten $10,000 fines and fees the suspension of liquor licenses to create fear and to intimidate businesses out of wanting to host drag performances, especially when there are unclear about exactly what is allowed and what is not allowed representative smith, democratic carlos guillermo smith was florida's first lgbtq latino lawmaker. >> he's currently running for state senate it has led to a chilling effect with pride as well. several pride events across florida have also been canceled or restricted out of concern, drag queens might be seen by children in public resign, hit, particularly hard by the political backlash drag queen story hours like this there once was a boy with the rainbow harms they had signed saying that drag queens were pedophiles with aids. >> they were yelling and screaming at children and families. >> were you scared? i was scared. i was scared welcome to the waiver hood with waves. they're finding your style is fine when the music stops grabbing, it, doesn't matter i'll just dollars i'm sorry, carl, this is me and chair form i don't see you this one perfect for you, but you love it. i told you we should have done opinion data i explained it how many dei then i'd said you need to sit down every style, every home that they blocked the road trip everyone comfortable? >> yep. there's plenty of space hi, david gardner right. >> no, no going on one once arrive okay. >> i gave him and see despicable me before and theaters july 3rd rated pg last month, massive solar flare out at a 24 hour to the day, businesses are wondering what should we do with bacon and eggs 257, right? so spots from 20% with additional hour extra hour on thinking up the 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foundation he hosts all the events in drag the children and their parents know jason as a drag queen named mama ashley rows tell me just a little bit about your background. i was involved in church pretty much my whole life, which led me to get into ministry. and the whole time i knew i was gay, i knew i was struggling even through all that journey feeling of unwanted nus and unloved and never being good enough to where here i am today spreading this message that everyone it was love accepted, and wanted no matter who they are. i remember how it felt to not feel that way. so it's kinda drives me to do what i do today you were once a pastor at an lgbt church, was like pastor mike today, drag queen by night and again, the drag queen, it wasn't even just by night. >> we started doing events. we started doing fundraisers variety shows, drag dinner shows, drag gospel shows raising money for those in need perfect. it can be $100, could be a couple of thousand dollars. and our events and we not only focus on queer lgbtq plus charities, but we focus on animal shelters, domestic violence, mental health i always knew that my character, mama ashley rose was going to be something different. you're going to be wholesome, going to be not the club bar scene because it was never really my scene. and i just knew that i had to bring something to the table that no one else was doing i look forward to meeting oh, i can't wait for you to meet mama nice to reach. >> nice to meet you. good seeing you, to see you too. >> so tell me about you. >> so mama is just a southern lady that spreads a message to everyone is loved, accepted, and wanted no matter who they are. and we provide a safe space so my job is to make people for loved, make people feel safe, give them a little laugh, a little chocolate sometime i don't when people think of a drag queen this is not the look that i think most people think of. >> what if my life could bring. it's changed make somebody move absolutely. so drag is an art form and we know that art comes in all shapes, sizes types, and everything. and i love to tell people we have adult television, we have children's television, we have adult radio toluse radio, all that. so i'm kinda like the disney channel of drag, who's ready for story time? >> all. kids if you can come up and have a seat on the floor. >> so for me, dragged story hour is first of all, teaching literacy. >> there once was a boy with, uh, rainbow heart it looks a little different. >> we know that illiteracy is an issue and the world right now. but teaching and reading about kindness, my books are about kindness, about love, about loving yourself. we read stories about how to handle bullies and the list goes on with that, just teaching life skills, you see it's literally just a person in a costume no different than a disney princess reading a story to kids and adults. my sparkly earrings, they see it as this like glamorous princess they're going to listen to a story from someone dressed in a costume before they will have just any random person what kind of backlash have you faced doing drag story hour up until last year? we had no issues and a year ago this december, we had neo-nazis show up outside this building. they had signs saying that drag queens were pedophiles with aids they were projecting on the side of buildings saying that grooming was in process. they were yelling and screaming at children and families. >> were you scared? i was scared. i was scared jason says he also had to find a new location for an annual drag pageant at the last minute, because the orlando venue was afraid of being targeted by the desantis administration they were really concerned about losing their liquor license so they asked us to make our event 18 up and my response was like, no, i'm not going to make an event 18 up when it never has been we don't do 18 and up events. >> so we had four days to find a new venue to move a whole paget, a whole production show shortly after that in orlando high school was forced to cancel an event featuring jayson he had been scheduled to speak to the school's queer and ally alliance. i have been invited by students for years to go in and the students invite me and of course, with approval of educators and this after-school program, after school club. and i usually say, do you want me to come as json or do want me come as momma and always i mean, they wanted to drag queen, right? so a woman who is part of the moms for liberty, who is also on the orange county school board, basically had a shutdown educators and the principal and the dean were literally their jobs were being threatened if they allow this event to happen. that school board member, alicia for ronde, says she raised questions after hearing complaints it's from dozens of parents but an investigative report by spectrum news 13 in orlando revealed a majority of the emails for ron to received about the event were supportive of it. we have reached out several times different for a response to the report, but i've heard nothing back i just wanted to be a drag queen and tell funny stories and make people laugh i had no idea it was going to be in this atmosphere. >> it's scary time. it was a scary time for us secondly, fear of threats, fear of safety the political backlash, jason and many others are now experiencing is familiar to me anyone who knows the history drag more on that next. every week, there'll be police raids every time there was a police raid, it was people in states of drag who were arrested the simons are going off and the tornado here i'm thinking, i'm going to die. and i thought that was violin earth with liev schreiber donated nine on cnn did you know sling has your favorite news progress for just $40 a month my favorite news for just $40 a month my favorite news for just $40 a month. $40 a month? >> my favorite for just $40 a month $40 get your favorite news. are $40 a month sling lets you do that with so many choices on 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rupaul's drag race sache of aloof she's also a fulbright scholar who wrote a book on the meaning and history of drag called the big reveal, an illustrated manifesto of drag hello, gorgeous, 200 page book outlining the history of drag and the political backlash against it. >> all intertwined with anecdotes from my own irresistible and unpredictable relevance to clean you're welcome why do you think the history of drag is so important? >> the history of drag is important because people don't know. and in fact, it feels like their cycles of acceptance and then backlash that have happened throughout history sasha grew up steeped in drag history one of sasha is biggest influences this was her grandmother dina she encouraged me to channel lane or diva. she coached me on how to make an inference and the gown the her condo had like one set of stairs coming down from the loft and i would put my costume on up there and then walked down the stairs dramatically. so i have a lot one of her grandmother's favor