Nina West, known from RuPaul’s Drag Race, is leading opposition to Ohio’s House Bill 249, the "Indecent Exposure Modernization Act," which critics say could broadly target drag performers and transgender residents. Performers across the state report fear, threats to livelihoods and potential increases in harassment. Advocates argue drag is diverse and mainstream, not the narrow caricature some lawmakers describe, and many are preparing legal and public campaigns to resist the bill.
Nina West Battles Ohio's Proposed Drag Ban: Performers Fear Broad Impacts of HB 249
nina west
Nina West spent much of her career watching drag move from the margins into the center of American culture. The Columbus-based entertainer helped build Ohio’s drag scene for decades; a run on RuPaul’s Drag Race later made her one of the state’s most recognizable LGBTQ+ figures. Drag brunches, packed theaters, charity fundraisers and mainstream television audiences followed.
What The Bill Would Do
The controversy centers on House Bill 249, the "Indecent Exposure Modernization Act," which passed the Ohio House in March and is now awaiting action in the state Senate. Supporters say the bill clarifies and strengthens indecency laws to protect children from sexually explicit performances. Critics argue its language is broad and vague, potentially sweeping in drag performers, venues and transgender or gender-nonconforming people who simply express gender in public.
Anisa Love
Voices From Ohio's Drag Community
"It's really incredibly dehumanizing," West told The Advocate. "To hear these people talk about and try to legislate and put parameters on the thing that I do for a living."
Performers across Ohio describe growing fear and uncertainty. Carmen Berry, a Black transgender woman who performs and works for Equality Ohio, says she dresses mentally for protection before leaving the house: "I have to wake up and give myself the full protection of armor every time I walk out of the house."
Lady B Davenport
Anisa Love, this year’s Miss Gay Ohio, described a statewide climate of anxiety: "The feeling across the state is one of fear." Virginia West, a nearly three-decade drag veteran who helped found Columbus’s District West, called the bill "a cover-up" and said she believes it targets trans people.
"The people who this bill would directly affect are scared," West said.
Misconceptions About Drag
Lawmakers and critics often describe drag as simply "men dressing as women," but performers say that misrepresents the art form. Bryanna Nagy, who performs as Lady B. Davenport and is a cisgender woman, notes that drag includes cis women, transgender performers, nonbinary artists, drag kings and queens, comedians, dancers and entertainers whose acts may not involve gender impersonation at all. "It's not just a man transforming into a woman," she said. For many, drag is an amplified, theatrical expression of identity — "a bigger version of yourself."
carmen berry
Why Performers Are Alarmed
Opponents of HB 249 warn that tying "adult cabaret" rules to gender expression could create confusion about who can safely exist in public spaces and invite harassment or criminal charges based on appearance or performance. Many performers worry the law would chill public life for transgender and gender-nonconforming Ohioans, reduce access to cultural events, and undermine longstanding community institutions.
Several performers described concrete consequences: lost income, canceled events, and people considering leaving the state for safety. Berry said that if the bill becomes law she would seriously consider moving away — a wrenching choice given the life and community she has built. Others, like Virginia West, say they will stay and continue performing, prepared to challenge the law in court if necessary.
Broader Context And Next Steps
The backlash feels particularly jarring to performers who watched drag become mainstream and widely embraced. At venues like District West, audiences have expanded far beyond queer communities to include straight couples, bachelorette parties, tourists and families. That mainstream popularity has many performers baffled by the surge of political attacks.
As HB 249 awaits consideration in the Ohio Senate, performers, advocates and allies are mobilizing: testifying at hearings, organizing public campaigns, and preparing legal strategies. Some are considering relocation; others are choosing to stay and fight for both drag and transgender rights.
Nina West put it plainly: "I still live in Ohio because I love this place. I don't have to live here, but I still live here because I love this place." The debate over HB 249 now raises urgent questions about who can safely perform, gather and live openly in Ohio.
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