A student LGBTQ group is suing Texas A&M University over its new policy banning drag performances on its public campuses. The federal lawsuit comes from the Queer Empowerment Council, a coalition of student groups at Texas A&M’s College Station campus. They aim to block the university from enforcing the ban, which was unanimously approved last week by the school’s Board of Regents.
The ban halts all drag shows on A&M’s 11 campuses, including the annual “Draggieland” event, held since 2020. The board claims drag performances “demean women” and could create a “hostile environment.” Attorneys from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, representing the students, call this unconstitutional censorship. Attorney Adam Steinbaugh says,
“Public universities can’t shut down student expression simply because the administration doesn’t like the ‘ideology.’”
Opponents of the ban planned a “Day of Drag” protest for last Thursday. They vow to keep Draggieland alive, even if forced off-campus. According to the Queer Empowerment Council,
“Drag is self-expression, discovery, and empowerment…No amount of censorship will silence us.”
