Greg Abbott Issues Blistering Response to Drag Show Ban Controversy
Supreme Court's decision to reject a request by a local student group to host a drag show at a Texas university, saying that drag shows are "not welcome" in education institutes in the Southern state."Drag shows are not welcome at Texas universities," the Republican governor wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday. "Our focus is to educate the next generation, not indoctrinate them."In March 2023, LGBTQ+ student group Spectrum WT sued officials at West Texas A&M University after the president Walter Wendler banned a drag show planned for later that month.
The group said the ban was in violation of the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech. Newsweek contacted Abbott's press office and Spectrum for comment by email on Saturday.In September 2023, U.S.
District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk issued an interim ruling denying the Spectrum WT's request for a preliminary injunction stopping Wendler from banning future drag shows.
Kacsmaryk said it was "not clearly established that all drag shows are inherently expressive" and thus should be covered by the First Amendment.Following his ruling, Spectrum WT appealed to the New Orleans-based 5th U.S.
