Viewers Dig Drag Shows. Politicians, Not So Much

TV shows featuring drag queens are a bit of a trend right now. There's We're Here on HBO, where drag shows are set up in not-so cosmopolitan areas, such as Jackson, Mississippi and Sussex, New Jersey, with local folk taking part alongside more established participants. 

There's Queen of the Universe on Paramount Plus, which sees drag queens battle it out for top billing, and there's RuPaul's Drag Race on MTV, and its various offshoots. 

RuPaul's Drag Race single-handedly shows how drag has become more mainstream. The show launched on LGBTQ-friendly Logo, then shifted to VH1, before arriving on MTV earlier this year. (Logo, VH1 and MTV are all owned by the same company.)

Amidst all this, several states are cracking down on drag shows, fearing the effect such shows have on children. I got to do a story on the emergence of drag shows, and the emergence of anti-drag legislation.

“When we created the show, we were living in a world where it felt like progress was being made,” said We're Here co-creator Stephen Warren. "These days, “Homophobia, transphobia, drag phobia — everything is more intense than it ever was. It’s a very different world.”