Judge Invokes Dolly Parton in Striking Texas Drag Ban

Cathal McNaughton / REUTERS A federal judge invoked the late music icon Dolly Parton in his ruling overturning Texas’s ban on drag shows. U.S. District Judge David Hittner, a Reagan appointee, struck down the 2023 state law that looked to restrict drag shows. In his ruling, Hittner said the law, known as Texas Senate Bill 12, was unconstitutional as it restricted free speech in violation of the First Amendment. Hittner invoked Parton in his ruling, which came down the day she died. Read more…