State senator Megan Hunt said that the proposal to ban “religious indoctrination camps” is just a ploy to make a larger point.
Republicans in Nebraska accused a Democrat of “anti-religious bigotry” when she proposed making it unlawful for kids to engage in religious youth programs like VBS.
Senator Megan Hunt of Nebraska claims her amendment to LB 371 is aimed at blocking minors from attending “religious indoctrination camps,” meaning it is intended to counteract the Republican bill banning minors from attending drag shows. According to the language of the amendment, “religious leaders and clergy persons have a well-documented history of brainwashing and sexual abuse perpetrated upon kids.”
This is a subtle jab at the Republican position that drag shows should be off-limits to minors due to their explicit nature.
“This is an amendment I will utilize to make a point,” Hunt told Fox News Digital. I would drop this amendment if I felt it stood a chance of being adopted. No need to panic; it’s only a figure of speech.
Alternatively, Republican legislators asserted that Hunt was either being dishonest about her viewpoint or exhibiting the worst kind of bigotry.
Fox News Digital quoted Republican state senator Julie Slama as saying, “The intolerance she’s displayed in believing this amendment (and – maybe – her job?) is a joke is worrying.”
During the state legislature, Senator Dave Murman proposed LB 371 and shared Senator Slama’s sentiments in the introduction. That amendment is a perfect example of the extreme left’s persistent push to undermine Christian patriots in Nebraska.
“abusers inside churches and other religious organizations generally use events like church or youth-group-sponsored camps and retreats to earn children’s confidence and get unsupervised access to such youngsters to commit [sexual abuse],” reads the amendment suggested by Hunt.
Camps, vacation Bible studies, retreats, lock-ins, or conventions organized by churches, youth groups, or religious organizations with the express intention of indoctrinating children and young people with a certain set of religious views are referred to as “religious indoctrination camps” in the document.
Slama claims that it “prevents youth from participating in hyper-sexualized activities” since its language is similar to that of underlying legislation LB 371.
LB 371 would make it illegal for anybody under the age of 19 to enter a drag show, and the limit would increase to 21 if alcoholic beverages were served. According to the proposed law, “engaging in singing, lip-syncing, dancing, or otherwise performing before an audience for amusement” while displaying “a gender identity that is different than the performer’s gender given at birth” constitutes “participation in a drag performance.” Under the proposed legislation, it would be illegal to bring a minor to a drag show.
The owners of the company or non-profit organization organizing the drag show might be punished with a misdemeanor and fined $10,000 if minors are present.
Slama claimed that LB 371 was enacted to prevent children from becoming “collateral casualties of the awakened agenda.”
Hunt’s amendment makes the same punishments applicable to parents and companies who enable their children to participate in youth religious activities by substituting references to drag shows with “religious indoctrination camp.”
Hunt says she is against “harmful and discriminatory actions,” and she has introduced controversial bills like LB 371 to prove it.
As an illustration, while Hunt was against a bill that would have required DNA collection from all suspects, he suggested an amendment that would have required similar collection from all applicants for concealed carry permits.
Hunt said that the bullets were “not meant to penetrate.” This legislation is intended to prevent LB371 and similar discriminatory laws from being debated by the whole Nebraska Legislature, which would be a waste of time for both the people of Nebraska and the politicians. Advocating for or against the law is part of my job here. This is the standard operating procedure for this kind of work.
Bill (LB) 371 is going to be heard in committee, and it has the backing of nine Republicans in the legislature.
Along with her amendment, Hunt also filed a request to postpone the proposal indefinitely.
The Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union sees this as an attack on free speech.
After the bill’s introduction earlier this month, Jane Seu, legal and policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska, said in a statement, “Let’s call this what it is — an unlawful censorship attempt based in a concerted nationwide effort to force LGBTQ+ persons out of public life.”
Drag is an artistic and expressive style that allows members of the LGBTQ+ community to express themselves and celebrate their own culture. A vital part of the creative community for generations, the tradition of artistic autonomy would be profoundly impacted by this proposal. Added Seu, “The law protects family-friendly performances in the same way it does other types of live theater.
On the other hand, Republicans argue that LB 371’s phrasing is identical to that used to exclude minors from strip clubs. Republican legislators in other states, including Arkansas, have proposed similar legislation with the same grounds.
According to what Murman told Fox News Digital, “we set laws limiting when kids may drink, visit a club, vote, join the military, drive, or agree to a medical surgery.” I think it would be a good idea for Nebraska to outlaw all forms of sexual entertainment for children, including drag shows.