Drag Show Permitted at Texas A&M Despite Ban

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    A planned drag show at Texas A&M University has been given the go-ahead despite a prohibition by the Board of Regents, as determined by a federal judge on Monday. The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal in Houston, challenged the university’s restriction on the grounds of free speech.

    Judge Rosenthal, appointed by the late President George H.W. Bush, emphasized in her opinion that canceling the performance simply because it might offend some members of the university community contradicts the First Amendment. This ruling halts the enforcement of the ban while the broader legal proceedings continue.

    Her decision resonates with other recent rulings, as seen when the U.S. Supreme Court prevented Florida from enforcing a statewide prohibition and similar blocks by district courts in Montana, Tennessee, and Texas.

    Texas A&M University has become a focal point in the ongoing legal deliberations. Two years prior, West Texas A&M’s president halted a drag show scheduled there. Subsequent legal challenges led U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk to rule in favor of the university, citing that the show contained “sexualized content” and was capable of being more strictly regulated compared to other speech forms. The U.S. Supreme Court chose not to address the student’s appeal in that instance.

    The current context differs from before. The Board of Regents had implemented a ban on drag performances across the university system on February 28, even after tickets for “Draggieland,” an annual event since 2020 at the College Station campus, were sold. Initially supported financially by the university in its first two years, the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council has recently handled all the financial aspects.

    The university maintained that endorsing the show could jeopardize federal funds under President Donald Trump’s executive order against funding for “gender ideology,” a scenario that saw Columbia University deprived of funds.

    However, the judge ruled that permitting the show does not equate to the university’s endorsement. Instead, it reflects a commitment to facilitating diverse viewpoints, even those considered offensive by some, as universities are expected to encourage critical engagement with a wide spectrum of perspectives and ideologies.

    A university spokesperson was unavailable for comment on the ruling.