A Federal Judge Reverses Texas’ Drag Show Ban

Once again, a federal judge has put the interests of radical activists ahead of the rights of Texas parents and the protection of Texas children.

On Tuesday, a federal judge again declared Texas Senate Bill 12 unconstitutional, preventing the state from enforcing legislation designed to protect minors from sexually oriented performances, namely drag shows. Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately announced his office would appeal the decision.

This is not complicated. Children should not be exposed to sexually explicit performances. Parents should not have to worry about whether an adult entertainment venue, public event, or establishment is going to expose their children to inappropriate material.

Texas Family Project spent years exposing these sexual performances across the state. They were prevalent in both large and small alike. We found these drag shows were always sexual. A large portion of the time they were advertised specifically for children. On multiple occasions we even found children would be at these sexually explicit shows without supervision. These are not safe places for children to be.

Children should not be expected to navigate sexually charged environments or performances. Parents should not be told they need to take their children elsewhere while activists insist these performances have a right to be presented in spaces accessible to minors.

The latest ruling follows years of litigation over SB 12. The law had previously been allowed to take effect after intervention by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, but Tuesday's ruling again blocks its enforcement.

Attorney General Ken Paxton has made it clear he is not going to surrender simply because a federal judge disagrees with Texas. Following the ruling, Paxton called the decision "profoundly flawed," saying it endangers children and is an affront to Texas values. He also pledged to appeal immediately.

Our children cannot advocate for themselves. They depend upon parents, lawmakers, and leaders to establish reasonable boundaries around what children are exposed to.

Texas Family Project will continue standing with Texas parents who believe childhood should be protected from the sexualization of our culture. We thank Attorney General Ken Paxton for his willingness to continue this fight.