Charlize Theron has joined a growing list of stars denouncing new anti-drag and anti-LGBTQ+ laws. The star made her views crystal clear during an appearance on the May 7 telethon “Drag Isn’t Dangerous: A Digital Fundraiser,” which was also attended by Idina Menzel, Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Jesse Eisenberg, and Sarah Hyland.
“There are so many things that are hurting and, really, killing our kids – and we all know what I’m talking about right now – and it ain’t no drag queen,” Theron said. “Because if you’ve ever seen a drag queen lip-sync for her life, it only makes you happier, it only makes you love more, it makes you a better person.”
In previous weeks, Hayley Kiyoko, Lizzo, Kevin Bacon, and Kyra Sedgwick have all also spoken out to support drag queens and the queer community in the wake of new anti-drag and anti-LGBTQ+ laws. At her Tennessee concert on April 21, Lizzo brought a group of drag queens on stage to perform with her and expressed her love and support for the LGBTQ+ community. And on April 23, Bacon and Sedgwick (who’ve been married since 1988) posted a video of themselves dancing to announce a new fundraiser they’re doing for the ACLU’s Drag Defense Fund.
Stars have steadily been raising their voices since a slate of legislation emerged in Tennessee and other states that targets trans youth, drag performers, and the LGBTQ+ community at large. On March 2, Tennessee became the first state to pass a ban on public drag shows, and at the same time Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that banned gender-affirming healthcare for youth in the state. A Feb. 5 report from NPR says that at least eight other states are trying to pass similar anti-drag laws. Many believe the Tennessee anti-drag law, which bans “male or female impersonators,” is designed to punish all trans people in the state. And other anti-trans legislation continues to make its way through state governments around the country. For example, Arkansas is working on a new bill that would ban trans people from public bathrooms (per PBS), the Missouri attorney general issued an order in April that severely restricts the ability of trans people of all ages to seek care (per the New York Times), and both Indiana and Idaho have banned trans children from receiving gender-affirming care (per Vox).
In this climate, many LGBTQ+ celebs and their allies have been using their platforms to highlight the importance of protecting trans people. On March 20, Maren Morris, Hayley Williams, Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard, and Hozier were some of the famous faces at Nashville’s “Love Rising” benefit, an event designed to protest the slate of new legislation in Tennessee that targets trans youth, drag performers, and the LGBTQ+ community at large. Pedro Pascal, Gabrielle Union, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kelsea Ballerini, and LeBron James have also spoken out in support of trans rights in the wake of legal attacks against transgender people across the country. Ahead, these are celebrities who are publicly supporting trans people and drag performers across the country.