JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hamburger Mary’s in Jacksonville is a restaurant where female impersonators perform and their shows are at times “kid-friendly.” Legislation in Tallahassee may jeopardize what happens inside the restaurant.
Jordyn Sinclair is part-owner and show director at Hamburger Mary’s. She along with others believe the community is under attack. The business hosts drag shows that are kid-friendly, meaning there is no cussing or sexual innuendo.
“The concern for us isn’t about how it’s going to affect our business,” Sinclair said. “It’s more about how it’s going to affect kids in the world. I mean, we’re going to do what we have to do, we’re going to follow the law and we’re going to--if they say, ‘kids can’t come here’, then kids won’t be allowed in here. But, it’s more about what it does for the mentality of children growing up.”
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The impact on children is why local state Senator Clay Yarborough’s proposal was approved in the Senate Tuesday.
“In this bill, we define adult live performance with standards approved by the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether or not speech is considered obscene, and we also provide accountability and penalties if a business admits a child to an adult live performance that contains such activities,” Yarborough said.
Yarborough says it does not ban pride events or parades. But, local state Senator Tracie Davis voted against the bill.
“All this bill is actually doing is further attaching a stigma to an already stigmatized group of individuals or seen the ramifications of this rhetoric across the state and it’s already taking a harmful effect,” Davis said.
That effect is what Jordyn Sinclair and others are feeling.
When asked if she feels under attack, Sinclair said, “I do, I think the restaurant is under attack. I think drag is under attack. I think trans people are under attack. I think, you know, LGBTQ people are under attack. Yeah, it feels personal.”