Rural community submits ballot initiative to become first in Ohio to ban public drag; LGBTQ+ advocates claim ‘fraud’

In August, group of residents of Bellefontaine, Ohio, turned in a petition at the Logan County Board of Elections with almost 800 signatures. The petition was for a measure on the November ballot that would ban drag in public spaces or any locations where minors are present. 

A different group of residents of the west central Ohio town, however, claims that the language on the petition was fraudulently changed after voters signed it.

The language on the petition filed with the county is as follows: 

“The classification of drag artist(s) and drag shows as Adult Cabaret Performance. Adult-orientated exhibitions featuring male or female impersonators who provide displays and entertainment appealing to sexual interest, shall not permit the attendance of a minor. Adult Cabaret Performances shall not be held on public property, or any location viewable by a minor.”

However, on August 25, five Bellefontaine residents filed an electoral protest with the elections board that does not contest the 796 signatures, but instead claims that the signatures collected were for language different than what was submitted. 

The petition surfaced after dozens of residents showed up at a Bellefontaine City Council meeting in early January to protest the inclusion of a drag queen in the city’s 2022 Christmas parade. That was followed by a council meeting two weeks later where more than 60 residents packed the room to speak in favor of the drag queen.

On April 14, residents opposing the drag queen’s inclusion in the parade filed a petition with the city auditor with the proposed ballot language.

They then began regularly collecting signatures at a table outside the Bellefontaine County Courthouse, while counter-protesters held up signs to passing cars with messages countering LGBTQ+ hate and defending drag performers. 

Ballot initiative to ban public drag in Ohio rural community is met with LGBTQ+ counter protest

The six Bellefontaine residents named in the electoral protest are Julia Cook, Renee Price, Skate Buchanan, Danielle Stefaniszyn, Devin Palmer and Charles Palmer. The five electoral protesters are Victoria Maddox, Katelyn Roby, Sarah Lewis, Chris Hildreth Blair and Marshall Blair Hildreth.

According to Tim Steinhelfer, an attorney representing the five electoral protesters, Ohio law prohibits altering, correcting, or adding to a petition after it has been filed with the city auditor. 

In their affidavit to the BOE, his clients present discrepancies between certified copies of public records on file and pictures taken during circulation. They claim that the petitions that were circulated and signed were different than those submitted to the BOE in several substantive ways, including:

• The petitions that residents signed did not contain any language about amending an existing ordinance or making the measure part of the city’s zoning code regulating adult entertainment.
• The petitions submitted to the elections board contain additional text making the proposal a zoning ordinance regulating adult entertainment. 
• Some of the petitions filed with the elections board did not identify the municipality for the proposed ordinance when voters signed them. 

“You can’t just swap out the petitions after the voters signed them with ones you think stand a better chance in court,” Steinhelfer said. “Nobody can … My clients are trying to protect the integrity of the election.” 

The election protesters highlighted the alleged lengths that their neighbors were willing to go to ban public drag.

“They didn’t just commit fraud. They did it 27 times. Someone had to take 27 staples out, print 27 four-page copies of the fraudulent petitions, then staple all 27 back to the signature pages. Sounds intentional to me,” said Roby.

The Logan County Board of Elections has scheduled a hearing on September 7 to hear the electoral protest.

When Ohio state legislators return from their summer break, they will consider HB 245, a bill that would ban drag performances statewide in locations other than “adult cabaret.” Introduced on July 17, this bill has not yet been assigned to a committee. 🔥