Florida attorney general calls for cancellation of 'demonic' Christmas drag show in Pensacola

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is demanding that a Pensacola theater cancel a Christmas drag show, calling it “demonic” and harmful to children, even though it’s an 18-and-older event.

The Pensacola Saenger Theatre has scheduled A Drag Queen Christmas, billed as the nation’s longest-running drag tour, for December 23. Hosted by Nina West, the show features legendary drag artists Lexi, Bosco, Shea Coulee, Jewels Sparkles, Crystal Methyd, Suzie Toot, Brooke Lynn Hytes, and Lydia B. Kollins.

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Florida’s anti-drag law, which threatens the business licenses of venues that allow children into “adult live performances,” has been blocked in court. And the Saenger Theatre’s website states “18+ welcome” for the drag show. But that didn’t keep Uthmeier, a Republican, from railing against it.

“Two days before Christmas, Pensacola will host a demonic, sexually explicit drag show at the city-owned Saenger Theatre,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Pensacola shouldn’t platform obscenities that denigrate its residents and expose kids to harmful content. They should cancel the event.”

Along with this, he posted a letter he wrote to the Pensacola City Council, dated Friday, taking issue with the city’s position that the show does not pose a risk to public health, safety, or general welfare. He said several of the performers use “demonic” or “satanic” imagery and that the production is “anti-Christian.”

“It will be playing in the middle of downtown at the same time as Pensacola’s family-friendly Winterfest,” he continued. “So, while Pensacola children are taking pictures with Santa, men dressed as garish women in demonic costumes will be engaged in obscene behavior mere feet away.”

“While the First Amendment safeguards freedom of expression, it does not require a city to platform and endorse disgusting, obscene content that denigrates its residents’ religious beliefs,” he added. He also raised the threat that these “deranged performers” could “expose themselves” to children attending the nearby Christmas festivities.

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Last month at a City Council meeting, Pensacola residents offered comments both for and against the show. Saenger General Manager Jeffrey Sharp “emphasized … that every show is required to comply with city ordinances and state law,” radio station WUWF reported at the time.

“If this show’s content violates city ordinances or state laws regarding nudity, graphic content, or obscenity, performers could face arrest, the production company could be held legally liable, and authorities could shut down the production immediately,” Sharp said, according to the station.

Performer Lexi, in a statement to The Advocate, said much of the information in Uthmeier’s letter “is outdated or just plain wrong. Many of the girls’ brands have evolved over time, and in Suzie’s case, calling her a ‘demonic Betty Boop’ couldn’t be further from reality. Sure, she’s a self-proclaimed demon twink — but that’s campy, not corruption.”

“And honestly, if this were a nativity play and we were ‘men in dresses’ portraying the wisemen or angels, no one would bat an eye,” Lexi continued. “They’d probably praise it. The double standard is obvious. At the end of the day, drag is art. Artistic expression — including nudity — has been celebrated for centuries, even in churches like the Sistine Chapel. And while I might be one of the girls who leans a little more on the skimpy side, we all know how to read the room. If something’s family-friendly, we respect that. Always have, always will.”

Bernardo Sim contributed reporting.