A federal judge temporarily blocked a Tennessee law restricting drag performances the day before it was expected to go into effect Saturday.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker rewarded a temporary restraining order blocking use of the law for two weeks, saying that it was “likely both vague and overly-broad.”
The law was signed by Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee last month, ruling drag shows that took place in public or near children to be illegal.
From The Hill:
“Does a citizen’s private residence count? How about a camping ground at a national park? What if a minor browsing the worldwide web from a public library views an ‘adult cabaret performance’?” Parker said in Friday’s ruling. “Ultimately, the Statute’s broad language clashes with the First Amendment’s tight constraints.” The judge acknowledged that the temporary restraining order represents an “extraordinary remedy,” noting that he “does not take such actions lightly.” “If Tennessee wishes to exercise its police power in restricting speech it considers obscene, it must do so within the constraints and framework of the United States Constitution,” Parker added. “The Court finds that, as it stands, the record here suggests that when the legislature passed this Statute, it missed the mark.”
