The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is moving to revoke the liquor license for the Hyatt Regency Miami over a drag event the hotel hosted in December called "A Drag Queen Christmas," which a complaint alleges admitted children to the "lewd" and "vulgar" event.
Regulators in the state said they had warned the Hyatt Regency Miami that if it failed to ensure that minors were prohibited from the performance, its liquor license could be rescinded, according to a complaint from Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation that was posted by the Miami Herald and other publications.
The admission policy for the event allowed children under 18 to be admitted with an adult, and the complaint alleges that "children appearing less than 16 years of age" attended the program, which it claims included "performers ... wearing sexually suggestive clothing and prosthetic female genitalia."
DeSantis has previously targeted drag shows, as well as the LGBTQ community, with laws such as the state's controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" law. That law restricts teachers and school districts from discussing gender identity and topics surrounding sexuality in the classroom from kindergarten through the third grade.
The Hyatt Regency drag show allegedly "contained sexually explicit themes and prurient content presented through perverted versions of popular children's Christmas songs," the complaint alleges, citing the song "Screwdolph the Red-Nippled Reindeer."
Sexually explicit content isn't appropriate for children and "violates Florida law," DeSantis' office told CBS News Miami. "Governor DeSantis stands up for the innocence of children in the classroom and throughout Florida."
In a statement to CBS MoneyWatch, Hyatt said the hotel's liquor license remains valid. The show was held at the James L. Knight Center at the Hyatt Regency Miami, and the center is managed by a third-party operator, the hotel said. It added that it is the food and beverage concessionaire at the center.
"We are reviewing this complaint and will address the situation directly with the state's Department of Business and Professional Regulation as part of administrative review process," Hyatt added.
First published on March 15, 2023 / 11:58 AM
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