Powell was fined $100 and $125 in court costs, according to court records.
He was the only person cited during the June 23 event at Governor’s Square in downtown.
Candice Keller, executive director of the Community Pregnancy Center, posted on her Facebook page that she testified on Powell’s behalf.
“I am proud of this Godly man and his extraordinary courage,” she wrote on Facebook. “I feel badly that he had to pay such a big fine because he works very hard at his job and he had to take off work to go to court. Shame on Middletown City Council for having an unconstitutional ordinance on noise when the drag queens were much louder than this preacher ever was. Shame on our prosecutor and shame on this court. How in the world will you all ever answer to God for silencing the gospel?”
Since the Pride event, nine pro-LGBTQIA+ people spoke in favor of the drag show during a City Council meeting, and two weeks later, Keller was critical of the event and the lack of response from city leaders.
Then, late last month, House Bill 245 was introduced that drag performances in Ohio could be banned from public parks, parades and other places children might be if the legislation introduced by House Republicans becomes law.
The bill is co-sponsored by several Republicans, including three from Butler County: Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp., Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, and Jennifer Gross, R-West Chester Twp.
Hall and other politicians are hoping the bill becomes law and “protects kids,” he said.
House Bill 245 expands the definition of adult cabaret performers from strippers and topless dancers to include “entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer’s or entertainer’s gender assigned at birth.”
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