Students at Texas A&M University secured a legal victory after a federal judge overturned the university’s attempt to cancel their annual drag show, “Draggieland.”
The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal, determined that the ban violated students’ First Amendment rights.
Rosenthal, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, emphasized the importance of free speech on college campuses, stating, “The law requires the recognition and application of speech rights and guardrails that preserve and protect all our treasured First Amendment rights.” The decision ensures that the student-organized, student-funded drag performance will take place as planned this Thursday.
The controversy began in February when the Texas A&M Board of Regents unanimously passed a resolution banning all drag shows on the university’s 11 campuses. The board argued that drag performances contradict the institution’s values, claiming they create a “hostile environment for women” and likening them to offensive and discriminatory conduct. The resolution echoed rhetoric from former President Donald Trump’s executive order on “gender ideology,” which aimed to restrict funding for institutions that do not adhere to a strict male-female binary.
Legal representatives for the students, including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), argued that the university’s decision was an unconstitutional suppression of free expression. JT Morris, a senior attorney at FIRE, stated, “Public universities have a duty to respect the First Amendment rights of students. They can’t banish speech just because it offends them, any more than they could shut down a political rally or a Christmas pageant.”
The Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council celebrated the ruling, saying, “This is another display of the resilience of queer joy, an unstoppable force despite those who wish to see it destroyed. While the fight isn’t over, we will celebrate this moment by putting on the best show possible.”
This decision follows a similar legal battle in 2023 at West Texas A&M University, where the administration cancelled a student-run drag event, comparing drag to blackface. That case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to intervene, effectively allowing the university’s cancellation to stand.
For now, Texas A&M students can move forward with their long-standing tradition, reaffirming the role of free expression on campus.
