Image Credit: TN Attorney General / X & Canva
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Monday not to entertain an appeal on Tennessee’s “drag show ban.”
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti confirmed the Court’s decision on X, noting that the victory would allow them to continue to “defend TN’s law and children.”
The original case was brought by Memphis-based LGBTQ+ theatre Friends of George’s after the 2023 law was passed limiting “adult-oriented” performances by banning them from public property and restricting audiences to those 18 and older. The group claimed that the legislation had a negative impact on them.
Some Democrats have tried to say that the law was designed to create fear and division, targeting the gay community.
Republican have argued, however, that many drag shows include sexually explicit content that is harmful to children, justifying the law as a means of protection for Tennessee’s younger residents.
“Free speech is a sacred American value, but the First Amendment does not require Tennessee to allow sexually explicit performances in front of children,” AG Skrmetti said.
While one court determined that the law was unconstitutional, that decision was ultimately reversed by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
