Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis usually stays out of the political fray, but this week after her husband Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned the sexualization of children by a “woke society” that allows for individuals to “drag” their underage children into a sexually-charged dinner show at a Drag queen club, Mrs. DeSantis weighed in.
"Having kids involved in this is wrong. That is not consistent with our law and policy in the state of Florida, and it is a disturbing trend in our society to try and sexualize these young people,” said Gov. DeSantis at a press conference. “ That is not the way you look out for our children, you protect children, you do not expose them to things that are inappropriate."
First Lady DeSantis took to social media to express her dissatisfaction against these establishments that expose children to “inappropriate sexualized content.”
“Speaking on behalf of A LOT of moms across the state, we do not want our children exposed to inappropriate sexualized content. Full stop,” stated Mrs. DeSantis
DeSantis is a mother of three small children, so this issue hits home for her and many Floridians, Americans with children, including myself.
Unfortunately for families, the practice of allowing children to attend Drag clubs, where the performers engage in alleged “inappropriate” sexual behavior, is more widespread than most could imagine.
In Florida, most, if not all of these Drag clubs allow minors to enter as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Lips, a longstanding Drag club in Oakland Park, Florida is just one of these businesses that allow minors to enter.
The Floridian spoke to a LIPS employee who confirmed that while they do not have a kid’s dinner menu and they do not specifically cater to children, minors are allowed to enter with a parent.
But Lips does cater to minors.
On the club's website, minors are directly marketed to.
"No matter how young or old, Lips is the perfect celebration space! We offer something for everyone—from a special Sweet 16 package...," states the site.
We asked the individual if children under the age of 11 could enter, and he said, “oh yes,” reiterating that they would have to be accompanied by a “parent or guardian.”
We have obtained a video taken from inside LIPS, where it shows a performer allowing an individual to stuff cash into his or her bra, a practice that is very common at these types of clubs, and other adult entertainment clubs that do not allow anyone under the age of 18 to enter.
Lips does offer an age disclaimer that states that children 16 and older are allowed to enter, but that statement is contradicted by the aforementioned employee we spoke to.
"We remind you that we are Drag Queens, and the innuendos fly around with colorful language. Please keep this in mind when bringing both younger and older guests. All guests to the Lips Showroom must be at least 16 years or older!"-Lips age disclaimer
One gay couple we spoke to, who asked that their identity be kept out of this article, said that he was "repulsed" over the fact that LIPS and other similar clubs would allow for minors to enter their business, regardless if they are accompanied by an adult.
DeSantis's Press Secretary Christina Pushaw responded to our request for comment, arguing that "adult entertainment" was "adult entertainment."
"It’s adult entertainment. Kids have no place in adult entertainment and should be protected from this," stated Pushaw.
