Drag Restrictions

Drag is an art form dating back centuries and is a vital part of LGBTQ culture and history. While state laws restricting gender-based dress also date back to at least the 1800s, 2023 brought a resurgence of efforts to limit free speech and expression in the form of drag performances. These attacks are part of a much broader and coordinated effort attacking gender expression, transgender people, and the LGBTQ community more broadly. For more, read MAP’s ongoing series Under Fire: The War on LGBTQ People in America. This map show what states explicitly restrict drag performances in addition to those with laws about “adult” performances that could potentially be used to target drag performers.

State law explicitly restricts drag performances
(2 states)
State law does not explicitly restrict drag performances
(48 states + 5 territories + D.C.)
State has law about
State has law about "adult" performances that could be used to target or restrict drag
(4 states)

*Notes:
—Montana‘s law restricting drag performances is currently unenforceable due a federal court order issued July 2023. 

 

Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Restrictions on Drag Performances.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/restrictions-on-drag-performances/. Data as of June 12, 2026.

Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ adult population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ adult population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here.

2%
2% of LGBTQ population lives in states with laws restricting drag performances
98%
98% of LGBTQ population lives in states with no law restricting drag performances
16%
16% of the population lives in states with laws about "adult" performances that could be used to target or restrict drag