Montana Pride in full swing in Helena under temporary protection from the court
The Friday before the weeklong events of Montana Pride were slated to begin, a federal judge issued a temporary relief order (TRO) in a lawsuit over Montana’s drag ban that passed during the 2023 legislative session.
House Bill 359, sponsored by Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, made drag performances on public property that could be in view of minors illegal, with potential fines for businesses and an avenue for civil litigation.
In the wake of the relief granted from the court, Montana Pride went forward in Helena, attracting thousands of attendees from across the state — many of whom said the event was a hard-fought celebration. Saturday marked the culmination of a weeklong party featuring a parade, a rally, two Drag Story Hours, an outdoor drag performance and more.
The Pride Parade route led attendees to Fire Tower Park, where legislators, candidates and Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins gave speeches in support of Pride.
“We must continue to fight against the lingering shadows of bigotry, hatred and inequality that still haunt us today,” said Collins, the first Black mayor in Montana. “Today we celebrate the freedom to love and to be loved just as we are.”
The City of Helena was named as a defendant in the lawsuit when city staff told Hamm they would not be issuing permits for Pride because of the drag ban. However, the city submitted a filing in court agreeing with Montana Pride’s request for the restraining order, saying the bill forced the city to either infringe on constitutional rights to free speech or subject city staff to civil and criminal liability under the bill.
“The city attorney threw the state under the bus so hard that their lawyer didn’t know what to do,” Hamm told press after the rally.
City and federal law enforcement officials patrolled downtown Helena on Saturday, with Hamm saying a handful of people in opposition to the events were on their radar.
Montana Book Company, a Helena bookstore that has hosted Drag Story Hours before and did so again, is also one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the drag ban. Co-owner Chelsia Rice said it’s been a “mess of emotions” leading up to the events Saturday.
HB 359 specifically defined and banned Drag Story Hour events in public libraries and schools during normal business hours. Montana Book Company, an LGBTQ+-owned bookstore, hosted two story hours with drag performers from Missoula and Great Falls on Saturday afternoon.
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Elena King, 7, attended Drag Story Hour alongside her family on Saturday and said her favorite part of the event was learning sign language — taught by hearing impaired drag performer Jackie, who uses the last name Rosebutch when not at story hours. King said her favorite sign she learned was for “Brave,” where both hands touch shoulders and form fists.
“People shouldn’t be made fun of just because they’re different,” King said.
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Shawn Reagor with the Montana Human Rights Network took to the stage that night at the street drag show, where around a dozen performers lip synched and twirled on Last Chance Gulch, and said he was a “survivor of the 2023 legislative session.”
“And so are you!”
“They’re afraid of us, they’re afraid of this, they’re afraid of our joy and our resilience, our color and our love,” Reagor said to cheers. “You can’t stop it. You can’t prevent it. And you can’t hold it back.”