Current:Home > NewsDrag artists and LGBTQ+ activities sue to block Texas law expanding ban on sexual performances-InfoLens
Drag artists and LGBTQ+ activities sue to block Texas law expanding ban on sexual performances
View Date:2024-12-23 14:42:23
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A group of drag performers and LGBTQ+ rights advocates have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block a new Texas law that expands what is considered an illegal public performance of sexual conduct, arguing it is meant to target drag shows and could also criminalize ballet and even cheerleading.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. district court in Houston by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of plaintiffs, contends that the law is unconstitutional and threatens the “livelihood and free expression of many Texans, including drag performers across our state.”
It seeks to block the from taking effect Sept. 1.
The law approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature was part of a broader effort in Texas and other conservative states to crack down on drag shows and limit LGBTQ rights.
Such laws have already run into trouble in other states, including Florida and Tennessee, where judges put drag performance bans on hold.
Like Texas, Arkansas has a new law regulating adult-oriented performance that doesn’t mention drag specifically but has raised concerns that it would be applied to drag performances. And Montana has a ban in effect that targets drag queen story hours, specifically.
The new Texas law on sexual content in performances was initially meant to bar children from attending drag shows. It was changed to remove specific references to drag performances, but it broadened the scope of what would be illegal.
It would ban real or simulated groping, real or simulated arousal, and the display of a sex toy if done in a “prurient” manner in front of a minor or on public property. And it includes a definition of sexual conduct that bars the wearing of accessories or prosthetics that enhance the female or male form in front of a minor or on public property.
Violators could face up to a year in jail, and businesses hosting performances deemed illegal could be fined $10,000 for each violation.
Drag performers say the law is intended to crack down on their art.
“Texas queens and kings from across our great state have been targets of threats and misinformation as a result of the anti-drag law,” said drag artist Brigitte Bandit of Austin, who is one of the plaintiffs. “Our community will not be used as a scapegoat or a distraction by politicians who do not know who we are or what we do.”
Supporters of the bill say it’s needed to protect children from seeing sexually explicit content.
“Someone must fight back against the radical left’s degradation of our society and values. I will not allow Texas children to be sexualized and scarred for life by harmful drag performances,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, said when the bill passed in May.
The lawsuit argues that the new guidelines could ensnare all kinds of performances in addition to drag shows, including touring Broadway plays, professional cheerleading routines and karaoke nights at a local club.
Television, movies and websites could also fall under the guidelines, and “any type of wardrobe malfunction” could result in fines or jail, the lawsuit said.
“The Texas Drag Ban is stunningly broad in scope and will chill entire genres of free expression in our state,” said Brian Klosterboer, attorney at the ACLU of Texas. “This law flies in the face of the First Amendment. No performer should ever be thrown in jail because the government disfavors their speech.”
veryGood! (851)
Related
- Former Disney Star Skai Jackson Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Her Boyfriend
- Ancestral lands of the Muscogee in Georgia would become a national park under bills in Congress
- Why Olivia Culpo Dissolved Her Lip Fillers Ahead of Her Wedding to Christian McCaffrey
- When do cicadas come out? See 2024 emergence map as sightings are reported across the South
- Is the stock market open on Veterans Day? What to know ahead of the federal holiday
- Jeff Daniels loads up for loathing in 'A Man in Full' with big bluster, Georgia accent
- Small earthquake shakes a wide area of Southern California. No initial reports of damage
- Testimony ends in a trial over New Hampshire’s accountability for youth center abuse
- Moana 2 Star Dwayne Johnson Shares the Empowering Message Film Sends to Young Girls
- Union Pacific undermined regulators’ efforts to assess safety, US agency says
Ranking
- Wisconsin’s high court to hear oral arguments on whether an 1849 abortion ban remains valid
- A man claims he operated a food truck to get a pandemic loan. Prosecutors say he was an inmate
- Student protesters reach a deal with Northwestern University that sparks criticism from all sides
- When do cicadas come out? See 2024 emergence map as sightings are reported across the South
- Gold is suddenly not so glittery after Trump’s White House victory
- Ancestral lands of the Muscogee in Georgia would become a national park under bills in Congress
- Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval Slam Raquel Leviss' Revenge Porn Lawsuit
- Lawmakers want the Chiefs and Royals to come to Kansas, but a stadium plan fizzled
Recommendation
-
Why the US celebrates Veterans Day and how the holiday has changed over time
-
Jason Kelce Details Why Potential Next Career Move Serves as the Right Fit
-
Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey’s Twins Look All Grown Up on 13th Birthday
-
Tesla stock rises after CEO Musk scores key deals with China on weekend trip to Beijing
-
Advocates Expect Maryland to Drive Climate Action When Trump Returns to Washington
-
Tiger Woods goes on Jimmy Fallon, explains Sun Day Red, has fun with Masters tree memes
-
NHL playoffs results: Hurricanes advance, Bruins fumble chance to knock out Maple Leafs
-
Expanding clergy sexual abuse probe targets New Orleans Catholic church leaders