"Drag"-ging Arizona's economy

A LOCAL BUSINESS BOOM: More restaurants and bars have started using drag shows as a driver for their daily revenue, with some saying its some of the busiest shifts they have.

But a continued push against the performance in public by conservative lawmakers in Arizona means that—if they were to ever be successful—the same businesses seeing a boom might very well go bust.

In a first-ever look at drag's impact on the local economy, our writer Geri Koeppel dug into the details on what drag performers and local business owners across the state are saying about the importance of using fabulousness for revenue:

Are Republicans “dragging” down small business revenue?

Once obscure, drag is a financial boon for Arizona’s small business scene. Still, Republicans are trying to kill it, putting local businesses at risk.

LOOKOUTGeri Koeppel (she/her)

LOOKOUT'S TAKE: For decades in modern culture, drag has been seen as an underground art defined more by personal expression and less about tax status. But with its soaring popularity because of TV shows like RuPaul's Drag Race or The Boulet Brothers' Dragula, drag is an opportunity to make some serious cash for performers.

It's also been an easy way for non-queer spaces to make a hefty amount of money every week.

Drag has become a popular mainstay for small businesses in areas that normally we wouldn't have seen before, especially in conservative places such as North Scottsdale, Prescott, Mesa, or Gilbert. It's not a coincidence that lawmakers in those districts are some of the most vocal against it. But with the G.O.P. being the party of limited government and pro-business, it would seem that LGBTQ+ people performing is where they draw the line on allowing Arizonans to conduct their own business how they see fit.

For the cover story of our magazine (which you can grab in October) we dove into how much local venues actually rely on drag to sustain their slow days, and what's at risk if Republicans were to shut down the art from public view.

🌵 LOCAL NEWS

• MORE VOICES: Yesenia Siemens received more than what most Arizona students get when it comes to sex education. It still wasn't enough to prepare her for a sexual assault. LOOKOUT
• HORNE & GRANNY: Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne went on the attack after being called out for posing with three Sun City residents who are against Title IX changes and its protections for trans and gender nonconforming students. New Times
• PRISON ASSAULT: A trans woman held in a men's Arizona prison was assaulted by another resident. She won $10,000 in a civil suit case. Associated Press
• NEW VOTERS: New voters in Arizona say LGBTQ+ rights are one of the primary reasons why they're choosing to take part in this November's election. Copper Courier

🇺🇸 NATIONAL NEWS

• TITLE IX: The Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling that barred protections for LGBTQ+ students through new Title IX protections. Only about half of the nation's students have protections in place now. Reuters
• DONAHUE: Phil Donahue was one of the first people to bring AIDS patients into people's homes through his talk show. The Advocate
• FLORIDA BE FLORIDA-IN': Home to one of the gayest vacation destinations in the nation (a toss-up, really, between Disneyworld or Fort Lauderdale) Florida has removed LGBTQ+ tourism from its official state website. NBC News
• DOUGLAS CHAPTER: A Colorado lawmaker is starting up a Moms for Liberty chapter in Douglas County, making it the sixth chapter in the state. The group is cited as an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group and anti-Democracy group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Colorado Times Recorder

Last week's question: What is the name of the current Arizona foundation that started off in Wink's Cabaret as a bake sale for AIDS patients?

Last week's answer: Aunt Rita's Foundation