On Sept. 7, Texas State Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano) shared an article explaining that a new bill seeking to make sexual references in live shows illegal has been blocked. Shaheen criticized Democrats who oppose the bill and support these shows as being acceptable for children.
"It is clear, liberal Democrat extremists want to sexualize children. These groomers will be defeated," Rep. Shaheen wrote in a Sept. 7 social media post on X, formerly Twitter.
According to the San Antonio Current, Senate Bill 12, which seeks to make any sexually-oriented live performances a criminal offense, was scheduled to go into effect on Sept. 1. The bill was blocked, however, when certain LGBTQ+ groups sued the Texas attorney general's office, saying that the bill infringed on their First Amendment Rights. U.S. District Judge David Hittner, who is overseeing the trial, issued a temporary restraining order on the bill being put into effect until he has made a final decision. Thinking the bill has the potential to cause "irreparable harm," Judge Hittner says his deliberation could still be several weeks away.
Texas Tribune reports that Senate Bill 12 was originally made to prohibit children from attending drag shows, but by the time of its approval, it was seeking to make it illegal to perform any live show that can be construed as sexual. "Sexual" here is being defined as any performance in which someone is nude or gives erotic allusions to nudity or anything related to sex. Punishment for any business owner who failed to comply with the new bill included fines of up to $10,000 if there were any children in attendance at the time of the show. Performers too would receive a Class A misdemeanor, meaning they could face up to a year in jail and/or a fine up to $4,000.
According to his bio page, Rep. Shaheen received his Bachelor's degree from Randolph-Macon College and his Master's from Southern Methodist University. He has served on the State Board of Social Workers and the Collin County Commissioners Court before filling his current position as Representative of District 66. Shaheen is a strong Republican and is a deacon at his local Baptist Church. He also serves on the Human Services Committee and the State Affairs Committee.
