Student LGBTQ+ group files lawsuit against Texas A&M over drag show ban

Mar 7

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Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

FIRE, an advocacy group for free speech and free expression, filed a lawsuit against Texas A&M University’s Board of Regents on behalf of the Queer Empowerment Council. The lawsuit targets a resolution passed by the Board of Regents banning drag shows on the university’s campuses.
The council argues the ban violates the First Amendment, effectively infringing upon the right of students to express themselves.
The lawsuit follows the board’s claim that drag shows conflict with university values and could create a hostile environment for women.

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The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Queer Empowerment Council, a student group at Texas A&M University, against the university system’s Board of Regents.

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The lawsuit comes less than a week after the Board of Regents unanimously passed a resolution banning drag shows from its 11 university campuses.

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That resolution is now threatening Draggieland, an annual drag show put on by the Queer Empowerment Council, which was scheduled to be held on campus March 27.

In the civil complaint, the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council argues that the Board of Regents’ resolution ignores the “First Amendment’s strict prohibition against viewpoint discrimination.”

“That is why officials cannot suppress student expression just because they believe it is not in ‘good taste’ or falls short of ‘conventions of decency,’” the lawsuit states.

“We refuse to let Texas A&M dictate which voices belong on campus. Drag is self-expression, drag is discovery, drag is empowerment, and no amount of censorship will silence us,” a Queer Empowerment Council representative said.

The Board of Regents’ resolution cites an executive order from President Donald Trump specifying that the federal government shall not promote gender ideology.

In its resolution, the board said drag shows are “inconsistent with the system’s mission and core values of its universities, including the value of respect for others” and often “involve sexualized, vulgar or lewd conduct; and involve conduct that demeans women.”

The board also argued that it “finds that drag show events are likely to create or contribute to a hostile environment for women contrary to system anti-discrimination policy and Title IX.”

FIRE is seeking a court order to stop the university from enforcing the ban on drag shows and to declare that the ban violates the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

Tags: College Board, college students, Drag shows, First Amendment, LGBTQ, Texas

THE FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION (FIRE) FILED A LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF A TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY GROUP CALLED THE QUEER EMPOWERMENT COUNCIL, AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM’S BOARD OF REGENTS.

THE LAWSUIT COMES LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER THE BOARD OF REGENTS UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A RESOLUTION, BANNING DRAG SHOWS FROM ITS 11 UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES.

THE BOARD OF REGENTS’ RESOLUTION MENTION’S PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ENTITLED “DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,” WHICH IT SAYS SPECIFIES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHALL NOT PROMOTE GENDER IDEOLOGY.

THE BOARD SAID IN THE RESOLUTION THAT DRAG SHOWS ARE “INCONSISTENT WITH THE SYSTEM’S MISSION AND CORE VALUES OF ITS UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING THE VALUE OF RESPECT FOR OTHERS” AND OFTEN “INVOLVE SEXUALIZED, VULGAR OR LEWD CONDUCT; AND INVOLVE CONDUCT THAT DEMEANS WOMEN.”.

THE BOARD SAID IT “FINDS THAT DRAG SHOW EVENTS ARE LIKELY TO CREATE OR CONTRIBUTE TO A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT FOR WOMEN CONTRARY TO SYSTEM ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICY AND TITLE IX.”

A YEARLY DRAG SHOW PUT ON BY THE QUEER EMPOWERMENT COUNCIL CALLED “DRAGGIELAND” WAS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON CAMPUS MARCH 27TH.

IN THE CIVIL COMPLAINT, THE TEXAS A&M QUEER EMPOWERMENT COUNCIL ARGUES THE BOARD OF REGENTS’ RESOLUTION IGNORES THE “FIRST AMENDMENT’S STRICT PROHIBITION AGAINST VIEWPOINT DISCRIMINATION.”

“THAT IS WHY OFFICIALS CANNOT SUPPRESS STUDENT EXPRESSION JUST BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT IS NOT IN ‘GOOD TASTE’ OR FALLS SHORT OF ‘CONVENTIONS OF DECENCY,’” THE LAWSUIT STATES.

“WE REFUSE TO LET TEXAS A&M DICTATE WHICH VOICES BELONG ON CAMPUS. DRAG IS SELF-EXPRESSION, DRAG IS DISCOVERY, DRAG IS EMPOWERMENT, AND NO AMOUNT OF CENSORSHIP WILL SILENCE US,” A REPRESENTATIVE WITH THE QUEER EMPOWERMENT COUNCIL SAID.

FIRE WANTS THE COURT TO STOP THE UNIVERSITY FROM ENFORCING THE BAN ON DRAG SHOWS AND DECLARE THE BAN VIOLATES THE FIRST AND FOURTEENTH AMENDMENTS OF THE US CONSTITUTION.