{"id":2415141,"date":"2025-03-25T15:33:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T19:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/free-speech-group-forces-tx-school-to-host-trans-sex-shows\/"},"modified":"2025-03-25T15:35:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T19:35:20","slug":"free-speech-group-forces-tx-school-to-host-trans-sex-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/free-speech-group-forces-tx-school-to-host-trans-sex-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Free Speech\u2019 Group Forces TX School To Host Trans Sex Shows"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffree-speech-group-forces-tx-school-to-host-trans-sex-shows%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2415141&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>texas A&#038;M University faced legal challenges after it banned drag shows on its campus, a decision made to align with its institutional values and to avoid creating a hostile habitat for women.The university&#8217;s board of regents recognized that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">drag shows ofen involve conduct<\/a> that could be deemed sexualized or offensive. However, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/make-twitter-show-their-work-how-elon-musk-can-ensure-twitter-protects-free-speech\/\" title=\"\u2018Make Twitter Show Their Work\u2019: How Elon Musk Can Ensure Twitter Protects ...\">free speech advocacy group<\/a>, sued the university to overturn the ban. Following the lawsuit,Federal Judge Lee Rosenthal issued a ruling that required Texas A&#038;M to host drag shows,including an event called &#8220;Draggieland,&#8221; which has previously featured provocative performances. <\/p>\n<p>FIRE argued that such shows are a form of expressive conduct protected under the First Amendment, equating their status to other forms of free speech, despite concerns about obscenity and public decency. The judge\u2019s injunction reflects a broader trend of judicial decisions that are seen as expanding First Amendment protections to include explicit content. Critics, including proponents of conventional morals, contend that obscenity should not fall under First Amendment protections. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-ducks-emergency-appeal-in-tennessee-abortion-case\/\" title=\"Supreme Court Ducks Emergency Appeal in Tennessee Abortion Case\">ongoing legal battle<\/a> at Texas A&#038;M exemplifies wider cultural and legal tensions surrounding free speech, representation, and community standards in educational institutions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>When Texas A&amp;M University banned drag shows on campus, it took a vital step to defend its institutional mission. But a so-called &ldquo;free speech&rdquo; group went to court, and now a judge is forcing the school to host these explicit transgender sex shows.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The university&rsquo;s board of regents <a href=\"https:\/\/thebatt.com\/flipbook\/resolution-2\/#2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recognized<\/a> that &ldquo;Drag Show Events are likely to create or contribute to a hostile environment for women,&rdquo; involving &ldquo;unwelcome and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-am-absolutely-blasts-and-bans-drag-shows-in-bombshell-announcement-takes-stand-for-women-decency-wholesomeness\/\" title=\"... A...M Absolutely Blasts and Bans ... in Bombshell Announcement, Takes Stand for ..., Decency, Wholesomeness\">objectively offensive conduct based<\/a> on sex,&rdquo; in a Feb. 28 resolution. As drag shows &ldquo;involve sexualized, vulgar or lewd conduct; and involve conduct that demeans women,&rdquo; the board found it &ldquo;inconsistent with the System&rsquo;s mission and core values&rdquo; for A&amp;M venues to host drag shows.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a misguided &ldquo;free speech&rdquo; group, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/news\/victory-federal-court-blocks-texas-ams-unconstitutional-drag-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sued<\/a> to make A&amp;M host these obscene sex shows. The university&rsquo;s ban had canceled the upcoming performance of &ldquo;Draggieland,&rdquo; hosted by the radical student group <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.google.com\/tamu.edu\/qec-resource-guide\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Queer Empowerment Council<\/a>, so FIRE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/research-learn\/complaint-texas-am-queer-empowerment-council-v-mahomes-et-al\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sued<\/a> on behalf of the group earlier this month. Federal Judge Lee Rosenthal for the U.S. Southern District of Texas issued an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/Opinion%20-%20Texas%20A%26M%20Queer%20Empowerment%20Council%20v.%20Mahomes%2C%20et%20al..pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">injunction<\/a> on March 24, forcing the school to host drag shows while the case is in progress.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is another display of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/news\/victory-federal-court-blocks-texas-ams-unconstitutional-drag-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">resilience of queer joy<\/a>, as that is an unstoppable force despite those that wish to see it destroyed,&rdquo; the Queer Empowerment Council said in a FIRE press release.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Rosenthal specifically forced A&amp;M to host &ldquo;Draggieland&rdquo; &mdash; which she lauded as &ldquo;cleverly named.&rdquo; Previous &ldquo;Draggieland&rdquo; performances featured <a href=\"https:\/\/thebatt.com\/multimedia\/photo-gallery\/gallery-draggieland-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scantily-clad<\/a> men dressed as women in sexual poses. At the time of publication, the upcoming event was <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.google.com\/tamu.edu\/qec-resource-guide\/our-events?authuser=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scheduled<\/a> to take place in a university theater on March 27.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>FIRE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/Opinion%20-%20Texas%20A%26M%20Queer%20Empowerment%20Council%20v.%20Mahomes%2C%20et%20al..pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">argued<\/a> the obscene drag show is simply &ldquo;expressive conduct,&rdquo; and Rosenthal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/03\/Opinion%20-%20Texas%20A%26M%20Queer%20Empowerment%20Council%20v.%20Mahomes%2C%20et%20al..pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">agreed<\/a>. FIRE Supervising Senior Attorney J.T. Morris claimed the First Amendment protects explicit drag shows as much as &ldquo;a political rally or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/news\/victory-federal-court-blocks-texas-ams-unconstitutional-drag-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Christmas pageant<\/a>.&rdquo; People in Christmas pageants, however, don&rsquo;t depict sexual scenarios for an audience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The First Amendment clearly protects freedom of conscience and freedom to engage in public discourse, per its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archives.gov\/founding-docs\/bill-of-rights-transcript\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">protections<\/a> for religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. But the Founders never thought it protected obscenity, lewdness, or pornography. As Dusty Deevers wrote for The Federalist, &ldquo;public indecency and nudity were <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/02\/05\/just-like-prostitution-theres-no-first-amendment-right-to-pornography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">common law crimes<\/a>&rdquo; that violated laws enforced by the framers and early Americans. <\/p>\n<p>According to the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature, &ldquo;judges in the early republic and antebellum periods&rdquo; believed &ldquo;obscenity <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordre.com\/literature\/display\/10.1093\/acrefore\/9780190201098.001.0001\/acrefore-9780190201098-e-1254\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">threatened<\/a> to degrade the nation&rsquo;s character.&rdquo; As Samuel Adams <a href=\"https:\/\/americanfounding.org\/entries\/second-continental-congress-april-30-1776\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> in the Second Continental Congress, &ldquo;The diminution of public Virtue is usually attended with that of public Happiness, and the public Liberty will not long survive the total Extinction of Morals.&rdquo; Only a long train of abuses in judicial interpretation would require a taxpayer-funded university to host explicit sexual performances.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>FIRE has a history of defending explicit content. In 2023, the group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/news\/west-texas-am-president-vows-ignore-law-land-cancel-student-run-drag-show\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opposed<\/a> West Texas A&amp;M University&rsquo;s ban on drag shows, which a federal judge upheld, recognizing the performances constitute &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/case\/spectrum-wt-v-wendler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sexualized conduct<\/a>.&rdquo; And in 2024, FIRE filed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefire.org\/research-learn\/free-speech-coalition-inc-v-paxton-brief-amicus-curiae-fire-support-petitioners-and\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">amicus brief<\/a> supporting the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freespeechcoalition.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">porn industry&rsquo;s<\/a> challenge to Texas&rsquo; law protecting minors from explicit content online. Ultimately, FIRE argues obscene content is free speech protected by the First Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>Shaky judicial precedent has enabled this far-reaching assumption. The Supreme Court enacted <a href=\"https:\/\/firstamendment.mtsu.edu\/article\/miller-test\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">vague standards<\/a> for determining &ldquo;obscenity&rdquo; in the 1973 case <em>Miller v. California<\/em>. In 2002, the Supreme Court cited <em>Miller to<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/firstamendment.mtsu.edu\/article\/ashcroft-v-free-speech-coalition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">strike down<\/a> a federal ban on content that &ldquo;&lsquo;appears to be&rsquo; or &lsquo;conveys the impression&rsquo; of&rdquo; child porn, claiming it would infringe on a &ldquo;significant universe of speech.&rdquo; And in the 2004 case <em>Ashcroft v. ACLU<\/em>, the Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/2003\/03-218\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">struck down<\/a> a federal requirement to protect minors from porn online.<\/p>\n<p>Various federal judges have been attempting to exert control over President Donald Trump&rsquo;s administration, with a district judge <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/21\/rogue-judges-are-turning-judicial-review-into-judicial-rule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trying<\/a> to stop him from deporting illegals to El Salvador and a circuit judge forcing him to keep trans-identifying people in the military <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/20\/valley-girl-federal-judge-cites-broadway-play-rips-up-constitution-in-trans-soldiers-screed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">citing<\/a> the musical <em>Hamilton,<\/em> as The Federalist previously reported. Rosenthal&rsquo;s injunction against A&amp;M is yet another example of judges operating on poor precedent and engaging in activism from the bench.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Logan Washburn is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawsuit-clark-county-keeps-commercial-addresses-on-voter-rolls\/\" title=\"Lawsuit: Clark County Keeps Commercial Addresses On Voter Rolls\">staff writer covering election integrity<\/a>. He is a spring 2025 fellow of The College Fix. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo&#8217;s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas A&amp;M banned drag shows, but a judge now mandates them<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":507,"featured_media":2415142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TAMU.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32311,3970,3924,3694,4019],"class_list":["post-2415141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-free-speech","tag-protests","tag-school","tag-texas","tag-transgender"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TAMU.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2415141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/507"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2415141"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2415141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2415145,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2415141\/revisions\/2415145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2415142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2415141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2415141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2415141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}