Ron DeSantis, inset above, is accused of furthering his ‘cultural war agenda’ by threatening to revoke the liquor licence of The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation which staged ‘A Drag Queen Christmas‘ last year.
They would all sell their birthright for a mess of pottage!
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DESANTIS, whose far-right Christian agenda began in earnest with his “Don’t Say Gay” bill in 2022, has used his office to target The Plaza Live, part of the The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation complex, claiming that kids ere exposed to “lewd and lascivious exhibitions.”
Oh, and a song entitled “Screwdolph the Red-Nippled Reindeer.”
Tampa Bay Times reports that the venue could lose its booze licence as a result of an investigation the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
The agency claimed The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation, which oversees the venue, had a responsibility to make sure no minors were in attendance at the show, but failed and violated Florida statute in the process.
Images released in the complaint show adults bringing children into the venue. There was also a sign at the entrance that advised attendees of potentially unsuitable content for those under the age of 18, according to the complaint.
The investigation into the venue followed threats from the Governor’s office to enact penalties if the plaza on Bumby Avenue allowed minors to see “A Drag Queen Christmas”.
In a statement, DeSantis’ press secretary, Bryan Griffin, said the venue “violated Florida statutes,” and therefore the Department is revoking the venue’s license for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
In the video below it’s predicted that the venue will challenge the action taken against it.
The plaza is facing six civil counts of statute violations, including admitting children onto a licensed premises where performers conduct simulations of sexual activity constituting lewdness, unlawful exposure of sexual organs, engaging or permitting disorderly conduct and maintaining a nuisance on the licensed premises.
The show also drew fire from wingnut Christians who claimed the show exposed children to “sexually explicit” content. The accused the show of paedophilia or “grooming,” an allegation often baselessly directed at LGBT+ people to imply a link between them and cases of child abuse.
Reacting to the news of the state action against Plaza Live, former Democratic lawmaker and LGBT+ activist Carlos Guillermo Smith on social media accused the governor’s office of overstepping its authority.
Ron DeSantis’ formal action to revoke Plaza Live’s liquor license for hosting ‘Drag Queen Christmas’ is an extreme abuse of regulatory power that can have devastating economic consequences for this local business. Why can’t parents decide what’s appropriate for their own kids?
The complaint itself said: “DeSantis stands to protect the innocence of children, and the Governor always follows through when he says he will do something.”
That so much of DeSantis’ agenda is based on petty vindictiveness, and not on issues that really matter, shows that Florida, once a “swing state” but now rotten to the core with infantile Republicanism, should be cold-shouldered by LGBT+ communities and all those who cherish freedom of expression.
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Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist 
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