Brigitte Bandit is an Austin “dragtivist” who frequently speaks out at the Texas Capitol. Credit: Instagram / @BrigitteBandit

The Texas House is holding a public hearing today on Senate Bill 18, a proposal that would strip libraries of public funding if they host drag queen story time.

The events — during which drag queens read books to children — have been under attack in recent years from Republicans. Some right-wing critics even argue the readings amount to efforts to “groom” kids.

In response, Brigitte Bandit, a self-described Austin “dragtivist,” showed up to the Texas Capitol on Monday wearing a dress adorned with names of Texas pastors who resigned amid controversy last year, some over accusations they harmed children. The dress she wore while testifying against SB 18 includes the names Robert Morris, Luke Cunningham, Ronald Goines, Tony Cammarota, Tony Evans, Josiah Anthony, Aaron Ivy and Charles Goff.

The back of Bandit’s dress reads, “Kids are safer at drag storytime than they are at church.”

Several of the names on Bandit’s dress are a part of a domino effect that brought down multiple Dallas-area megachurch pastors.

Luke Cunningham, for example, was removed from leadership at his church over allegations of sexually assaulting a child while serving as a youth pastor for a prior congregation.

Robert Morris, another name on the dress, was a Texas pastor and spiritual advisor to President Donald Trump before being indicted this March over allegations he abused a 12-year-old girl while he was a traveling preacher in the 1980s. As a pastor, Morris supported Texas’ failed 2017 “bathroom bill,” which sought to police bathroom usage by transgender people. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and others championed the legislation as an effort to “protect children.”

Several of the pastors named on Bandit’s dress left their churches for vague reasons. Tony Cammarota stepped down after his church released a statement accusing him of “moral failure,” though the message advised congregants that speculating about the specific nature of the failure would “give the devil a foothold.”

Tony Evans resigned from his church role, citing unnamed “sin,” while Josiah Anthony stepped down due to unspecified “inappropriate and hurtful conduct.”

SB 18 would cut off state and other public funding for municipal libraries that host drag story-hour events. The bill already passed the Texas Senate in March and is currently being heard by the House’s State Affairs Committee. All of the bill’s sponsors are Republicans, including New Braunfels-San Antonio Rep. Donna Campbell.

Lt. Gov. Patrick has praised the bill, saying it will advance the religious right’s mission of “eliminating the woke indoctrination of our children.”

“SB 18 puts an end to the practice of using taxpayer dollars for drag time story hours,” Patrick said in a statement on his website. “Libraries should not be used to advance radical ideology at the expense of children. This is the second consecutive session the Texas Senate passed this bill. I am optimistic that our new speaker, Dustin Burrows, will finally pass this important bill so it becomes law.”

Bandit says whether the bill becomes law or not, damage has already been done.

“Even if the bill doesn’t pass, our representatives legitimize this harmful rhetoric by even writing and hearing these bills,” Bandit told the Current via message. “Our community and Texas children deserve better. We deserve representatives that address real issues, not those who use marginalized communities as scapegoats for their own agendas and political power.”

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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.

Stephanie Koithan is the Digital Content Editor of the San Antonio Current. In her role, she writes about politics, music, art, culture and food. Send her a tip at skoithan@sacurrent.com.