US EditionFifth Circuit Blocks West Texas A&M Drag-Show Ban
The Fifth Circuit ruled drag shows are protected expressive conduct and blocked enforcement of the ban, allowing Spectrum WT to resume events amid ongoing legal challenges.
- On Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit blocked West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler from enforcing his drag show ban, finding the performances likely protected under the First Amendment.
- In a dean's affidavit, an official said the event "perpetuated derogatory & sexual stereotypes" and was "incompatible with, and destructive to, the University's mission of promoting diversity."
- Applying First Amendment doctrine, the Fifth Circuit found the content-based ban on drag shows in Legacy Hall unconstitutional, deeming drag performances protected expressive conduct.
- JT Morris of FIRE said the ruling halted unconstitutional censorship and allowed Spectrum WT to host drag shows while its lawsuit proceeds.
- Beyond this dispute, the ruling offers protections for public university students, as judges noted plaintiffs’ risk of irreparable harm, safeguarding campus expression.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Judges block West Texas A&M's ban on drag shows
West Texas A&M University, a public college in the Lone Star state, banned drag performances in 2023. The Fifth Circuit court has now blocked the ban, whose own proponents admitted was probably an unconstitutional infringement of students' First Amendment rights. — Read the rest The post Judges block West Texas A&M's ban on drag shows appeared first on Boing Boing.
Federal appeals court blocks West Texas A&M drag ban
A federal appeals court on Monday blocked West Texas A&M University from banning student drag performances on its campus, overruling a lower court order that claimed First Amendment protections do not extend to drag shows. The 2-1 decision from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asserts the university acted unconstitutionally when it canceled student-organized charity drag performances in 2023 and 2024. In a March 2023 email to students, fac…
'Rancid dissent!' Judge's 'rant' mocked by legal expert as Texas ban walloped
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down West Texas A&M;'s ban on drag queens on campus, and Judge James Ho issued "a rancid dissent to whine about discrimination against Christians," Slate legal analyst Mark Joseph Stern said Monday.In a post on Bluesky, Stern linked to the Found...
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