But many of Tennessee’s drag workers were exposed to the industry way before Drag Race came onto the scene. RuPaul’s Drag Race has helped drag become a major part of mainstream American culture, providing some stars with a creative outlet and catapulting others into fame and fortune. “Within the gay community, there is a great sense of fear on a number of things, for the performers themselves, their livelihoods,” says Roman.

Fortune spoke with six drag queens, business owners, and LGBTQ+ leaders in the state who say that the “ anti-drag bill” not only delegitimizes Tennessee drag performers’ lives and identities, but instills a fear it will hurt their ability to earn money and negatively impact the local and state economy. Drag is a multi-million dollar business nationwide, and its roots go back decades in Tennessee, whose bigger cities like Nashville and Memphis host vibrant drag scenes-so it’s ironic that the conservative-backed bill comes from a party that has built a pro-business and small government platform.

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