By Semir Nailovic
People ask why we’re stepping into this fight. This. Right here. This is why.
Because somewhere along the way, this country stopped drawing the line. Somewhere, we forgot that protecting children is not controversial, it’s fundamental.
Western Kentucky University recently hosted its 10th Annual Drag Show. But this wasn’t just a performance for adults. Children were present. One child, just four years old, was photographed handing a dollar to a drag performer. That image, with the child’s full name, was published by WKU’s own student newspaper, The Herald.
Let that sink in. A preschooler. On a college campus. In front of a stage. Handing money to an adult performer. And the institution that allowed it didn’t just condone it, they hosted it.
Where were the age restrictions? Where was the adult judgment? Where was the basic decency?
This isn’t about drag as an art form. It’s not about hate or division. It’s about harm. Let’s be clear: adults have the right to express themselves. Drag, like other performance art, is protected speech. And for many, it serves as a place of community and identity. That’s not in question.
What is in question is why children are being brought into these spaces. This isn’t a gray area, it’s a failure to protect. That boundary should be absolute. And that line should never be blurred.
Public colleges, funded by your tax dollars, are not meant to be cultural battlegrounds. They are not meant to expose young children to adult themes under the excuse of “inclusivity.”
They are meant to educate. To stay neutral. To protect.
As for the WKU student newspaper, The Herald, publishing that photo wasn’t journalism. It was recklessness. It was exploitation. And it was a betrayal of public trust. Not only for the photo and publishing a minor’s name, but for turning a blind eye to the safety of a child.
This is why action must be taken.
Other States Are Leading, So Can Kentucky
In 2023, Tennessee passed the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act, which bans adult cabaret performances, including drag shows, in public spaces and in places where children could be present. This law drew a firm line in the sand: protecting minors must come first.
Kentucky attempted to do the same with Senate Bill 115 in 2013 and Senate Bill 147 in 2024. SB 147 would have restricted adult-themed performances from taking place near schools, parks, and places of worship, and prohibited minors from attending such events. Unfortunately, despite passing the Senate, the bill stalled in the House and never became law.
But this fight isn’t over.
If we are successful with this petition, if we demonstrate that Kentuckians want to protect our children from exposure to adult content, we can revisit Senate Bill 147 in 2026 and push for its passage.
This is our opportunity to lead with common sense. To stand with parents. To stand for childhood. And to hold our public institutions accountable.
We are calling for immediate and decisive action.
We call for a complete ban on drag shows and similar adult-themed performances on all college and university property. Public institutions are not the place for this kind of content, especially not where children are involved.
We call for the enforcement of strict, non-negotiable age requirements for any adult-oriented events held in public venues. No child should ever be present at or exposed to sexually expressive performances.
We call for an end to the use of taxpayer dollars, directly or indirectly, to fund, promote, or support any event involving drag performances on campus grounds.
We call for institutional neutrality. State-funded colleges must not take sides in polarizing cultural battles. They exist to educate, not to indoctrinate.
Children are not political props. They are not social experiments. And they are not entertainment.
To every parent who is fed up… to every taxpayer who feels ignored… to every citizen who believes that children deserve a childhood, this is your moment.
Sign the petition. Share the message. Stand with us.
Because if we don’t protect them now, who will? Enough is enough.
Semir Nailovic is a father, small business owner and a concerned citizen using his voice to advocate for the protection of children and the preservation of family values.
