Judge places temporary pause on Tennessee order banning drag performances in public

A federal judge has temporarily blocked city officials in Murfreesboro, Tenn., from enforcing an ordinance that is designed to ban drag performances from taking place in public areas.

The order, issued Friday by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr., bars the city from enforcing the rule during the pride festival scheduled for next weekend in the town.

The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a lawsuit on behalf of the organization running the festival.

The legal challenge is the latest in the ongoing political battle over LGBTQ rights in Tennessee and across the country. Conservative activists argued that the 2022 drag performance during the festival “sexualized children,” according to the Associated Press.

Organizers denied the claims, arguing the performers were fully clothed.

“We are relieved that the court has taken action to ensure that Murfreesboro’s discriminatory ordinance will not be enforced during the BoroPride festival,” Chis Sanders, the executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, said in a statement via the ACLU of Tennessee. “We look forward to a safe, joyful celebration of Murfreesboro’s LGBTQ+ community.”

The ACLU lauded the decision, saying the festival is intended to create a “safe space” for freedom of expression and “cultivates community, solidarity, and joy among LGBTQ+ community members.”

“LGBTQ+ people should not have to live in fear of being targeted by their local elected officials and we will continue to protect this space and the free speech rights of Murfreesboro residents until this ordinance is struck down for good,” the organization wrote in the statement.

Tennessee state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R) introduced legislation last year that would prevent “male or female impersonators” and exotic dancers from operating anywhere near a minor.

The Volunteer State became the first state to enact a law explicitly targeting drag shows in March, when Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed Johnson’s bill into law. However, a federal judge ruled in June that the law was unconstitutional, too vague and violated freedom of speech protections.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.