The Texas Tribune reports:
U.S. District Judge David Hittner temporarily blocked a new state law Thursday from going into effect that would have criminalized sexually-oriented performances in front of children or effectively banned some public drag shows. LGBTQ+ groups sued the Texas attorney general’s office, hoping to stop authorities from enforcing Senate Bill 12, which was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June and was scheduled like most new laws to go into effect Friday.
Texas is one of six states that have passed a bill restricting “adult” or drag performances, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit that tracks legislation related to LGBTQ+ issues. Legal challenges to similar legislation in Florida, Montana and Tennessee have successfully blocked these laws from going into effect. In June, a federal judge in Tennessee, appointed by former President Donald Trump, ruled the law is unconstitutional.
Read the full article. Hittner, 84, was appointed by Reagan.
The author of the bill, GOP state Sen. Bryan Hughes [photo], appeared here in April for his bill that would defund public libraries that host Drag Queen Story Hour.
In March, he appeared here for his bill to raise taxes on bars that host drag shows. A Texas lesbian bar has since been denied insurance.
Last year Hughes appeared here when his bill to force public schools to display “In God We Trust” posters went into effect.
In 2021, he appeared here for his bill banning criticism of white supremacy in history lessons.
BREAKING: A federal judge just granted our request to temporarily block Texas’ drag ban from taking effect Sept. 1.
Drag performers and LGBTQIA+ allied businesses belong in our state — and Texas politicians have no right to censor our free expression.
— ACLU of Texas (@ACLUTx) August 31, 2023
Texas Governor Signs Law Banning Drag Performances in Public.
That’s right.
https://t.co/eC7OqElsbU via @metroweekly— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 25, 2023
