a Federal judge in Tennessee temporarily prevented a law from entering into force.
The restraining order was issued on Friday, with the judge saying the legislation was likely to be “vague and overly broad” in its restriction of speech. Otherwise, the law would have come into force on Saturday.
Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee signed into law the bill in February after it passed through the state legislature. The measure is designed to restrict drag shows in public or in front of children, as conservatives across the country argue the shows are not suitable for younger audiences.
He told me earlier that the law would protect children from the possibility of being subjected to “sexual entertainment” or “obscenity”.
TENNESSEE has become the first state to ban DRAG performances on public property, near schools
A federal judge in Tennessee has temporarily stopped a law that would have restricted the performance of drag in public places from going into effect. (Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
There have been GOP-led efforts to limit withdrawals in at least 15 states in recent months.
Judge in Memphis, Tennessee, sided with Friends of George, a Memphis-based LGBTQ+ theater group that He sued against the state.
“At this point, the court has found that the law is likely to be vague and excessively broad,” US District Judge Thomas Parker said in the ruling.
Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee signed into law the bill in February after it passed through the state legislature. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
JEAN-PIERRE LASHES OVER TENNESSEE LAW BANNING DRAG SHOWS NEAR THE BABIES: “What does that mean?”
Parker, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, said the state has not justified by compelling interest the restrictions it intends to impose.
The controversy over drag shows in Tennessee has largely centered on whether drag is sexually explicit in nature.
This measure is designed to restrict the performance of dragging in public or in front of children. (TEDx talks/YouTube/Video screenshot)
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Performers and civil rights groups have criticized the proposed withdrawal restrictions, arguing that such regulations are unconstitutional, redundant under current obscenity laws and will lead to further harassment and violence against LGBT people.
Reuters contributed to this report.