Federal judge blocks Texas drag ban, ruling the law violates free speech rights

Opponents of the law criticized it as too broad and said it was explicitly intended to target LGBT performers.

A Texas law restricting “sexually oriented performances” was struck down after a federal judge said it could apply to everything from cheerleading to karaoke to performances by Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and Miley Cyrus.

Federal Judge Again Rules Texas Ban On Drag Shows Unconstitutional  HuffPost

A federal judge on Tuesday struck down, for the second time, a Texas law that would have restricted public drag performances in the state, name-checking the late Dolly Parton in doing so. U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled that the state Senate Bill 12, which was passed in 2023, violated the First Amendment and “i

A federal judge struck down a 2023 Texas law Tuesday, ruling that the state cannot enforce its drag show ban as it violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech while its definitions were so broad it could have landed the late Dolly Parton behind bars.

Judge cites Dolly Parton in ruling on Texas drag ban  USA Today

Judge David Hittner blocked Ken Paxton from enforcing Texas Senate Bill 12, citing First Amendment protections for drag shows and free speech.

A federal judge in Texas has struck down a 2023 state law restricting public drag performances, ruling that the measure violates the First Amendment and is unconstitutionally vague. U.S. District Judge David Hittner, a nominee of President Ronald Reagan, ruled that Senate Bill 12, which sought to prohibit “sexually ori

The judge said the 2023 law was so broad it could have swept up “cheerleading, dancing, live theater” and other everyday performances.