Latest news with #LeeH.Rosenthal
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Judge blocks Texas A&M University's drag ban
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Texas A&M University System from enforcing a ban on drag performances on its campuses. The Texas A&M Board of Regents passed a resolution last month that prohibited drag shows in campus venues, arguing at the time, according to court documents, that drag shows could violate President Donald Trump's executive order prohibiting federal funds from being used to promote 'gender ideology.' As a result of the resolution, Texas A&M's flagship campus in College Station canceled 'Draggieland,' an annual drag performance scheduled for Thursday in a campus theater. The Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council, an LGBTQ student group that has sponsored the event for the past five years, sued, arguing that the ban on drag performances violates the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas said the students' claim is likely to succeed and issued a temporary injunction that will allow the performance to go on as scheduled while litigation continues. 'By permitting Draggieland to be held on campus, in the theatre used for a wide variety of events and performances, for those who want to attend and have bought tickets to do so, the Board does not imply that it endorses Draggieland's message,' Rosenthal wrote in her opinion. 'Instead, the Board is complying with the constitutional obligation to allow different messages and viewpoints, including those viewed as offensive to some, to be expressed at a university that is committed to critical thought about a wide range of conflicting and divergent viewpoints and ideologies.' The Queer Empowerment Council said in a statement that it is 'overjoyed' with the decision. 'This is another display of the resilience of queer joy, as that is an unstoppable force despite those that wish to see it destroyed,' the group said. 'While this fight isn't over, we are going to appreciate the joy we get to bring by putting on the best show that we can do.' A spokesperson for the Texas A&M University System said the school has received the judge's opinion and is reviewing its options and potential next steps. The decision is yet another blow against policies that seek to restrict drag performances. In 2023, a federal judge struck down a Texas law that LGBTQ advocates feared would ban drag shows, and judges also blocked a similar law in Montana that targeted drag shows and events where drag performers read books to children. However, in Tennessee, a federal appeals court last year allowed a law restricting drag to stand, reversing a lower court ruling. Texas A&M's Board of Regents, in addition to arguing that allowing drag performances on campus could violate Trump's order regarding 'gender ideology,' also said such performances violate the university's mission to respect others. Drag, the board said, involves men dressing in women's clothing, wearing exaggerated makeup and prosthetics and performing in a way that 'demeans women.' The performances could 'contribute to a hostile environment for women contrary to System anti-discrimination policy and Title IX,' the university said, citing a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, according to court documents. Rosenthal, however, said that the board didn't show any evidence that 'Draggieland' has contributed to an increase in the harassment of female students over the last five years the Queer Empowerment Council has held the performance and that the record didn't show that any female students had complained. In addition, Rosenthal said the board couldn't show evidence that Trump's executive order regarding 'gender ideology' applies to drag shows 'or that the Draggieland message denies the existence of the male and female sexes.' 'The QEC's complaint makes clear that by donning clothing and makeup traditionally associated with the opposite sex, Draggieland performers intend to convey a message of LGBTQ+ support by engaging in a protected art form,' Rosenthal wrote. 'The performers are just that: performers. They are acting. The performance is theater. It is not about individuals seeking to change their biological sex or claim a different biological sex. It is about actors who perform dressed differently than their biological sex. Again, the Board's argument conflates the existence of two sexes with different ways to express sexuality and sexual themes.' Rosenthal added, 'To ban the performance from taking place on campus because it offends some members of the campus community is precisely what the First Amendment prohibits.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Judge blocks Texas A&M University's drag ban
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Texas A&M University System from enforcing a ban on drag performances on its campuses. The Texas A&M Board of Regents passed a resolution last month that prohibited drag shows in campus venues, arguing at the time, according to court documents, that drag shows could violate President Donald Trump's executive order prohibiting federal funds from being used to promote 'gender ideology.' As a result of the resolution, Texas A&M's flagship campus in College Station canceled 'Draggieland,' an annual drag performance scheduled for Thursday in a campus theater. The Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council, an LGBTQ student group that has sponsored the event for the past five years, sued, arguing that the ban on drag performances violates the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas said the students' claim is likely to succeed and issued a temporary injunction that will allow the performance to go on as scheduled while litigation continues. 'By permitting Draggieland to be held on campus, in the theatre used for a wide variety of events and performances, for those who want to attend and have bought tickets to do so, the Board does not imply that it endorses Draggieland's message,' Rosenthal wrote in his opinion. 'Instead, the Board is complying with the constitutional obligation to allow different messages and viewpoints, including those viewed as offensive to some, to be expressed at a university that is committed to critical thought about a wide range of conflicting and divergent viewpoints and ideologies.' The Queer Empowerment Council said in a statement that it is 'overjoyed' with the decision. 'This is another display of the resilience of queer joy, as that is an unstoppable force despite those that wish to see it destroyed,' the group said. 'While this fight isn't over, we are going to appreciate the joy we get to bring by putting on the best show that we can do.' A spokesperson for the Texas A&M University System said the school has received the judge's opinion and is reviewing its options and potential next steps. The decision is yet another blow against policies that seek to restrict drag performances. In 2023, a federal judge struck down a Texas law that LGBTQ advocates feared would ban drag shows, and judges also blocked a similar law in Montana that targeted drag shows and events where drag performers read books to children. However, in Tennessee, a federal appeals court last year allowed a law restricting drag to stand, reversing a lower court ruling. Texas A&M's Board of Regents, in addition to arguing that allowing drag performances on campus could violate Trump's order regarding 'gender ideology,' also said such performances violate the university's mission to respect others. Drag, the board said, involves men dressing in women's clothing, wearing exaggerated makeup and prosthetics and performing in a way that 'demeans women.' The performances could 'contribute to a hostile environment for women contrary to System anti-discrimination policy and Title IX,' the university said, citing a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, according to court documents. Rosenthal, however, said that the board didn't show any evidence that 'Draggieland' has contributed to an increase in the harassment of female students over the last five years the Queer Empowerment Council has held the performance and that the record didn't show that any female students had complained. In addition, Rosenthal said the board couldn't show evidence that Trump's executive order regarding 'gender ideology' applies to drag shows 'or that the Draggieland message denies the existence of the male and female sexes.' 'The QEC's complaint makes clear that by donning clothing and makeup traditionally associated with the opposite sex, Draggieland performers intend to convey a message of LGBTQ+ support by engaging in a protected art form,' Rosenthal wrote. 'The performers are just that: performers. They are acting. The performance is theater. It is not about individuals seeking to change their biological sex or claim a different biological sex. It is about actors who perform dressed differently than their biological sex. Again, the Board's argument conflates the existence of two sexes with different ways to express sexuality and sexual themes.' Rosenthal added, 'To ban the performance from taking place on campus because it offends some members of the campus community is precisely what the First Amendment prohibits.'
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge blocks enforcement of Texas A&M system's drag show ban, allowing 'Draggieland' event on campus this week
Senior U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has blocked enforcement of the Texas A&M University System board of regents' drag show ban, insisting that an event called "Draggieland" must be allowed to take place at a university facility later this week. "Defendants … must permit the Draggieland performance to take place as scheduled on March 27, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., at the Rudder Theatre," Rosenthal's eyebrow-raising order declares. The grant of preliminary injunction comes as the Queer Empowerment Council at Texas A&M University, which is behind "Draggieland," challenged the Texas A&M University System board of regents' move to ban drag shows. Desantis Proposes Solution As Trump's Agenda Is Stymied By Judges "Draggieland has been a vibrant and award-winning student-run event for many years, embodying queer joy and unity," the Queer Empowerment Council said in a statement last month when responding to the ban. A Texas A&M University spokesperson told Fox News Digital via email on Monday that the institution cannot comment on pending litigation. Read On The Fox News App "The system has received the opinion and is evaluating next steps," a Texas A&M University system spokesperson told Fox News Digital via phone on Monday. Fox News Digital also reached out to request comment from the Queer Empowerment Council at TAMU, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. The Hitchhiker's Guide To How Congress May Try To Discipline Judges Who Rule Against Trump The resolution to ban drag shows states that "it is the policy of the Board of Regents that Drag Show Events shall not be held at Special Event Venues on any of the campuses of the Universities … " The measure points to President Donald Trump's January executive order, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," as well as to a letter issued by the Lone Star State's Republican Gov. Greg Abbott later that month. Scotus Tosses Challenge To Tn Law Banning Drag Shows With Kids Present, State Ag Hails Decision The resolution states that "given that both the System and the Universities receive significant federal funding, the use of facilities at the Universities for Drag Show Events may be considered promotion of gender ideology in violation of the Executive Order and the Governor's directive."Original article source: Judge blocks enforcement of Texas A&M system's drag show ban, allowing 'Draggieland' event on campus this week
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Federal Judge Says Texas A&M Can Host Drag Show
A federal judge has stopped Texas A&M's board from banning drag shows on campus. Lee H. Rosenthal, who was appointed as a federal judge by former President George H. W. Bush, wrote a Memorandum and Opinion on Monday that any student who finds the 'Draggieland' performance 'offensive has a simple remedy: don't go.' 'The Board, and some members of the A&M community, are offended by the Draggieland performance,' Rosenthal wrote. 'To ban the performance from taking place on campus because it offends some members of the campus community is precisely what the First Amendment prohibits.' She also noted the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents failed to prove that drag shows cause harassment of female students. In February, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents passed a resolution banning all drag performances on its 11 campuses, including Texas A&M's Draggieland performance, which is set to take place Thursday. The board cited President Donald Trump's executive order that states ''sex' is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of 'gender identity,'' and wrote in its resolution that drag shows are 'inconsistent with the System's mission and core values of its Universities, including the value of respect for others.' After the board banned drag performances, the Queer Empowerment Council, a student group that hosts Draggieland, filed a lawsuit to stop the ban, alleging the ban violated their First Amendment rights, according to the Texas Tribune. Rosenthal wrote in her memorandum that Trump's executive order doesn't refer to or apply to drag shows, and that Draggieland doesn't deny the existence of the male and female sexes. In a statement to HuffPost, the board of regents said the Texas A&M University System received the opinion, and they are evaluating next steps. 'The Drag Queen Test' Says A Lot About The City You Live In. Here's How It Works. What You Need To Know About The Knock-Down, Drag-Out Race To Lead Democrats Out Of The Wilderness 'RuPaul's Drag Race UK' Winner The Vivienne Dead At 32
Fox News
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Judge blocks enforcement of Texas A&M system's drag show ban, allowing 'Draggieland' event on campus this week
Senior U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has blocked enforcement of the Texas A&M University System board of regents' drag show ban, insisting that an event called "Draggieland" must be allowed to take place at a university facility later this week. "Defendants … must permit the Draggieland performance to take place as scheduled on March 27, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., at the Rudder Theatre," Rosenthal's eyebrow-raising order declares. The grant of preliminary injunction comes as the Queer Empowerment Council at Texas A&M University, which is behind "Draggieland," challenged the Texas A&M University System board of regents' move to ban drag shows. "Draggieland has been a vibrant and award-winning student-run event for many years, embodying queer joy and unity," the Queer Empowerment Council said in a statement last month when responding to the ban. A Texas A&M University spokesperson told Fox News Digital via email on Monday that the institution cannot comment on pending litigation. "The system has received the opinion and is evaluating next steps," a Texas A&M University system spokesperson told Fox News Digital via phone on Monday. Fox News Digital also reached out to request comment from the Queer Empowerment Council at TAMU, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. The resolution to ban drag shows states that "it is the policy of the Board of Regents that Drag Show Events shall not be held at Special Event Venues on any of the campuses of the Universities … " The measure points to President Donald Trump's January executive order, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," as well as to a letter issued by the Lone Star State's Republican Gov. Greg Abbott later that month. The resolution states that "given that both the System and the Universities receive significant federal funding, the use of facilities at the Universities for Drag Show Events may be considered promotion of gender ideology in violation of the Executive Order and the Governor's directive."
