A Miami restaurant has settled a legal dispute over a drag queen show with the state of Florida, ending a yearlong case that became tinged with partisan politics as Gov. Ron DeSantis accused the venue of trying to sexualize children. The owners of the restaurant, R House, agreed to pay a $10,000 fine to end the dispute. In a statement, the owners said the payment of the fine did not result from the finding of any violation of any administrative or criminal laws. They said in a statement, “We are very happy that the settlement contains no admission or finding of guilt for R House. Furthermore, we are also pleased to confirm that the State’s extensive undercover investigation of R House found no unlawful sexually explicit content at R House shows.” The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation filed the complaint against the restaurant in July 2022, accusing the restaurant of exposing minors to sexually explicit drag shows and violating Florida’s decency laws. The state agency, which is part of the DeSantis administration, sought to revoke the restaurant’s liquor license, a move DeSantis said would put R House out of business. R House owners once again clarified that their drag show performances were never specifically intended for minors, but that a few parents in the past had “felt they were qualified to decide what was appropriate entertainment for their children and brought their family to our shows.
