“I believe children were harmed at this event in violation of the Texas Penal Code,” Shaheen wrote in a letter to City Council. As first reported in the Dallas Voice, Shaheen also included Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia and Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot in the letter. He said children were present at the event and witnessed “disgusting, obscene content” that shows individuals violating the Texas Penal Code.
The all-ages event, put on by a group called Texas Latino Pride, presented drag performers, and that's what got Shaheen all riled up. The Plano Rep. does not detail in his letter how he became familiar with the the events of the Texas Latinx Pride Fest.
Shaheen pointed out that under the penal code it is a state jail felony if a person “knowing its content and character, wholesale promotes or possesses with intent to wholesale promote any obscene material.” He said it’s also a Class A misdemeanor for a person to promote obscene material or produce, present or direct obscene performances.
“In this case, it is clear that the event organizers knew exactly what children would see and that they meant to promote it to children fulfilling both elements of the crime,” Shaheen wrote.
He said it’s also a Class A misdemeanor for someone to display harmful material to a minor “if the person is reckless about whether a minor is present who would be offended or alarmed by the display.” Harmful material is defined in the statute as “material whose dominant theme taken as a whole (1) appeals to the prurient interest of a minor in sex … (2) is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community and (3) is utterly without redeeming social value for minors.”
“In this case, all three elements have been met,” Shaheen wrote. “Simply glancing at one of the many images of the event shows that the event appealed to the sexual, prurient interest of a minor.” He said images of the event show that it was patently offensive in nature to prevailing standards in Dallas and Texas. Images of the event simply seem to show performers dressed in drag."We are proud of the annual festival and look forward to contributing to the community in the future." – Texas Latino Pride
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“Lastly, there is zero social value that minors can possibly receive watching grown men parade around in BDSM underwear,” he said. Shaheen also accused the group that hosted the event of grooming children. We reached out to Shaheen for comment but he did not respond before publication.
“As Dallas elected city officials, you must ensure these crimes against children are prosecuted,” the letter continued. “I respectfully ask that you investigate this occurrence immediately to determine which laws were broken and to prosecute accordingly.”
Shaheen noted that if any laws were broken, the people who coordinate these events “that specifically target children” should be criminally prosecuted. He added that other like-minded individuals in the city should be put on notice that holding such an event in Dallas is a violation of the Texas Penal Code and could have serious criminal penalties.
“Duty requires that you investigate this matter immediately,” he said. “Please follow that duty for the sake of our children.”
Chad West, an LGBTQ member of the Dallas City Council, told the Observer he wouldn’t entertain Shaheen’s demands for an investigation. He said as a father of two, he knows there are real dangers out there that keep parents like him awake at night. “An arts and culture event in a city park by LGBT performers is not one of them,” he said. “Dallas Police resources should not be wasted on ideological stunts aimed at harassing people because of their skin color and who they love.”
“As a gay man, I would like the LGBT people, especially Latino LGBT folks, of Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Prosper, and Celina to know you will always be welcome and loved in the city of Dallas,” West said. “Your talents and full, authentic selves are welcome here anytime.”
The Texas Latinx Pride Festival is an annual event in Dallas. In an emailed statement, the group behind the event told the Observer that the festival is an all-ages event for LGBTQ people, families and allies. "Together, our community celebrated queer joy and united for the safety and freedom of LGBTQ Texans and our allies," the group said. "Pride is something to be celebrated by every Texan. LGBTQ people are also parents and parents of LGBTQ youth. We are proud of the annual festival and look forward to contributing to the community in the future."
Texas Latino Pride will remain committed to creating a more safe and inclusive place for LGBTQ folks and allies of all backgrounds, the group said. "Our mission is to celebrate community and recognize that LGBTQ people are also a part of Latino culture and all cultures and are celebrated across Texas," the statement continued.
Shaheen’s letter to the City Council comes as a U.S. district judge declared an anti-drag law unconstitutional. Senate Bill 12 was initially meant to ban drag performances in front of minors. However, it was changed to simply ban sexually oriented performances in front of minors. But late last month, the district judge deemed the law unconstitutional, saying there’s no way to read SB 12 without having other constitutionally protected conduct wrapped up in its enforcement.
