“It wasn’t until discovering ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ during the airing of ‘All Stars 2’ and season 9 in 2016 and ’17 that I realized a person could live their life as a full-time male and enjoy all the things that society suppressed for men who desire to be more socially masculine,” Knight said. “My mom vividly remembered me proclaiming after watching my first episode ‘Mom, I’m not a girl! I’m a drag queen.'”

Knight emerged as the face of the opposition to House Study Bill 158 during a hearing at the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines last week as she was featured on the front page of The Des Moines Register and spoke out during the public comment period. The proposed legislation bans anyone under the age of 18 from attending a drag show, which is defined as any event where “the main aspect of the performance is a performer who exhibits a gender identity that is different than the performer’s gender assigned at birth through the use of clothing, makeup, accessories, or other gender signifiers” and “The performer sings, lip-syncs, dances, reads, or otherwise performs before an audience for entertainment, whether or not performed for payment.” An adult who takes a minor to such a show or a business owner who knowingly hosts one where minors are present would be guilty of a Class D felony.

Recounting his own personal journey to where he is today, Stanley recalled attending a small, rural school district in the area before starting at Marshalltown in fifth grade and finding passions in theater, dance, fashion and makeup. He briefly considered puberty blockers and hormone therapy but said “RuPaul’s Drag Race” inspired him to instead embrace his masculine side in day-to-day life but also continue to explore makeup and fashion further.

Her original drag name was Lonika LaBelle, but she has since adopted the moniker Lonika LaReese Knight. In 2018, Knight attended her first all ages pride event, met her drag mother, Jade Knight, and learned of a drag camp hosted by the Ames Public Library, which led to her first performance at the age of 11 to “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga and “Glamazon” by RuPaul.

“Dancing, makeup, fashion and girly things all in one. A hobby that had encompassed all of my interests and was displayed in front of people that, for the first time in my life, didn’t put me down or discredit my love and passion for art,” Knight said. “I was scouted by a director for Ames Pride, and a few weeks later, I was performing the same number on the main stage at 2018 Ames Pride Fest.”

Knight continued to book performances and win accolades at Pride festivals across Iowa, and she was even featured in a Teen Vogue article. When she first heard that HSB158 was being considered, she admitted feeling a sense of shock that “an art so innocent could be considered something so vulgar.” Ultimately, Knight feels the decision on whether or not to attend drag shows should be a matter of parental choice, and she noted that in her entire six years of performing, she has rarely even danced to a song with swear words in it.

“I never do anything that you wouldn’t see from a child at a dance competition or a swimmer at a swim meet, considering that I’ve been both,” Knight said. “I think that (with) the diversity and paths that each person’s lives can take, that outlawing drag shows for minors is absurd. We can take a look around at mainstream media and pop culture icons and see things far more vulgar than any child would see at an all ages drag show. Many people fail to realize that queens performing for children choose songs and clothing that are appropriate. I have personally done songs from children’s shows like ‘Victorious’ and Disney movies like ‘Moana’ for kids at age 15 and 17 and been called a groomer, prostitute, stripper, pedophile and more. The usage of tarnishing language paints the picture that all drag entertainers are monsters.”

Instead of demonizing and criticizing LGBTQ youth at a time when almost one out of every five of them has attempted suicide, Knight continued, the focus should be on creating more safe spaces and fostering a culture of acceptance and support. She described members of the LGBTQ community as “the government’s punching bag” and noted that before the Stonewall riots of the 1960s, laws against sodomy and cross dressing were in many states.

Iowa was just the third state to legalize gay marriage in 2009 before the Supreme Court deemed it federally legal six years later, but in recent years, Republican legislative efforts have largely focused on transgender Americans — specifically, bills regarding bathroom usage, women’s sports and removing gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Code, which is currently also under consideration.

Knight has participated in a wide range of extracurricular activities at MHS including swimming, dance, cheerleading, science fair, National History Day, Envirothon, Poetry Out Loud, Math Team, Quiz Bowl and National Honor Society.

“Drag has given me the courage to pursue my academic and athletic passions while also being an active member within our Marshalltown community, not grooming me to be some monster who seeks to convert little children,” she said. “Children shouldn’t be the focus of such drag bans. It should be the young, old, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, lower class, upper class, factory workers to business executives and everyone in between who is unknowingly being affected by a diversion of attention and resources to issues that don’t need it — drag bans, transgender civil rights, medical rights and more.”

The proposed ban has also raised the question of whether showing a minor classic and widely beloved movies that feature drag performances — “Some Like It Hot” and “Mrs. Doubtfire,” to name a few — would now constitute a felony along with playing the music of artists like Chappell Roan, Queen, Prince and David Bowie. Sen. Kara Warme, a Republican from Ames who represents Marshall County, offered a mixed assessment of the bill.

“This bill is on the House side, so I have been monitoring (it) from afar. Protecting children from obscene and sexually explicit content is good public policy, but I did hear from several constituents who, like me, are enthusiasts of the arts and raised concerns,” she said. “My first theatrical role was in the second grade, starring as George Washington in a patriotic production. I enjoy taking my daughters to the Nutcracker ballet each winter, and Mother Ginger is a beloved character played by a biological male in a dress. Neither of these productions were obscene or inappropriate for children, and I think there are many other examples like them that we need to consider.”

Regardless of whether or not the bill passes, Knight is confident drag will survive both in Iowa and across the country, but she doubts queens will feel safe walking out and about in public. Nonetheless, she has been encouraged by several developments in Marshalltown including the emergence of student groups like the Gay Straight Alliance and the opportunity to perform at events like Pride in the Park.

“A lot, a lot, a lot of teachers at the high school and middle school level are super, super, super, super LGBTQ friendly and supportive and can be contacted at any time. I’ve had teachers come out to my drag shows. I’ve had coaches come out to my drag shows. I’ve had them enjoy something that I’ve enjoyed for so long as well, and they can attest that it is not something that should be illegal for children,” Knight said.

So far, the performer, who can be found on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram at @lonikalareeseknight, has primarily posted about HSB158 on her social media pages but has not made contact with any area legislators as of yet. At press time, Reps. David Blom (R-Marshalltown), Dean Fisher (R-Montour) and Brett Barker (R-Nevada) had not responded to requests for comment.

The subcommittee considering the bill recommended its approval after the hearing last Tuesday.