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.
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“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.
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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.
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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.”
