The attack on LGBTQ rights continues as Texas A&M’s Board of Regents bans drag performances across its 11 campuses. The decision follows increasing restrictions on queer expression, mirroring policies pushed by the Trump administration. The regents claim drag shows are
“inconsistent with [the system’s] mission and core values, including respect for others” and allege they create a “hostile environment for women.”
Critics argue this is a blatant violation of free speech. JT Morris, senior attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said,
“They are imposing a restraint on an entire category of protected speech under the First Amendment.”
The resolution echoes Trump’s executive order, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism,” which defines gender as strictly binary and threatens funding cuts to institutions that don’t comply. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also signaled support for restricting LGBTQ events and education. This isn’t the first attack on queer spaces in Texas. Last year, Texas A&M eliminated an LGBTQ studies minor and stopped offering gender-affirming care at student health centers.
The crackdown follows similar moves nationwide, including at Stanford University, where officials have barred trans women from competing in women’s sports. LGBTQ advocates vow to challenge these bans, calling them government overreach and a direct assault on free expression. LGBTQ activists have expressed fear that this will lead to a larger ban of Drag performances on the campuses of public universities. This would strike a dramatic new escalation of attacks on the LGBTQ community.
