A second federal judge in Tennessee has ruled against a law passed earlier this year by Tennessee Republicans and aimed at limiting drag performances in public places.
U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer of Knoxville on Friday granted a temporary restraining order against District Attorney Ryan Desmond preventing him from enforcing the state law as it related to a Blount County Pride festival scheduled for Saturday.
A federal judge in West Tennessee earlier this year ruled that the law was unconstitutional but blocked enforcement only in Shelby County.
The legislation aims to prohibit "adult cabaret" including by “male or female impersonators” from performing either on public property or where the performance “could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.” Critics argued that it was overly broad and could be used to criminalize a wide variety of behaviors or mere existence. The bill was a priority for Tennessee Republicans, as state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) filed it the day after he won reelection.
According to local media reports, attendance at the Pride event more than doubled from the previous year following the court ruling. Anti-gay protesters gathered outside the event.
“Our queer students, we’ve grown up used to this, we’ve grown up going to pride events, doing that kind of thing and expecting some type of pushback, some type of protesters, but I think it’s brought them closer and brought the allies closer as well, where it’s not just the queer students who are worried about it now,” Maryville College student body president Kelton Bloxham, who is gay, said, according to WATE. “It’s also the allies who are worried, and that kind of gives them an understanding of what queer students have been going through for our entire lives.”
This article first ran via our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
