FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky senators debated Senate Bill 115 for a significant amount of time Friday. SB 115 restricts drag shows in Kentucky. 

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Lindsey Tichenor (R-Smithfield) says the bill’s intent is to limit adult performances to adults.

Tichenor said, “These performances have never been a problem until they made their way into the public sector, thus the need for this legislation.”

The amended version of the bill would restrict someone giving a “sexually explicit” performance, or one "involving male or female impersonators" that Tichenor outlined as appealing to an “erotic" or “degrading" interest in nudity or sex. 

Under the measure, there would be penalties for performances on publicly owned property or where children could watch them. Democrats say the bill is designed to hate.

Sen. Karen Berg (D-Louisville) said, “Let’s talk about the elephant in the room… the LGBTQ community, where drag is a form of self-expression that you don’t have to understand. You don’t have to appreciate. You don’t have to like and you don’t have to attend.”

Lexington’s Sen. Reginald Thomas (D-Lexington), asked a question, saying, “What is it we’re afraid of? I mean, at some point I want someone to answer that question to me. What are we afraid of?”

Tichenor disagreed the legislation is about hate. He said, “I would ask what is hateful about keeping children away from sexualized adult performances? No matter how I’ve posed the question, why do sexually explicit adult performances need to be in front of children? I cannot get an answer.”

The bill passed the Senate and moves next to the House for consideration.