Texas legislature advances bills on drag shows, college diversity programs

The House advanced Senate Bill 12, restricting children from attending drag shows and performances "appealing to the prurient interest in sex." The Senate approved Senate Bill 17, which would ban diversity programs at public universities.

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas house advanced Senate Bill 12. The bill was originally designed to restrict kids from attending drag shows, but its most recent version seeks to criminalize any live performance in front of children that the bill defines as sexual.

"What the bill does is it describes very obscene acts that would be offensive in front a child," said Rep. Matt Shaheen.

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Lawmakers debated Senate Bill 15 at the Capitol Wednesday. The bill would prohibit college athletes rom competing on a team opposite their biological sex.

The bill's language explicitly targets drag shows.

It describes sexually oriented performances as including someone who is naked or dressed in drag and appealing to the prurient interest in sex.

On Friday, the Texas senate approved Senate Bill 17. The bill would ban diversity programs in public universities.

Senators approved a few amendments to the bill, including one to clarify that the legislation would not affect course instruction, faculty research, student organizations, guest speakers, data collection or admissions.