Federal Judge Strikes Down Texas Law Banning Minors From ‘Sexualized Performances’ Including Drag Shows
A federal judge has struck down a Texas law prohibiting “sexualized performances,” including drag shows, in the presence of a minor.
The legislation, Senate Bill 12, was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June.
The law applies to performances containing nudity and “the exhibition or representation, actual or simulated, of sexual acts,” or performances that appeal “to the prurient interest in sex … regardless of whether compensation for the performance is expected or received.”
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled that the law is too broad and “impermissibly infringes on the First Amendment and chills free speech.”
“Not all people will like or condone certain performances,” Hittner wrote in his ruling.
