"Much of the ruling rests on the words of West Texas A&M President Walter Wendler, which Kacsmaryk adopted throughout his 46-page opinion. In a March 2023 email to the campus community, Wendler wrote that drag "does not preserve a single thread of human dignity," describing it as a performance that "exaggerat[es] aspects of womanhood (sexuality, femininity, gender)" and "stereotype[s] women in cartoon-like extremes for the amusement of others.""
"Related: West Texas A&M University's drag show ban blocked by appeals court The decision denies relief to Spectrum WT, an LGBTQ+ student organization that sought to hold a drag performance in Legacy Hall, an indoor venue in the university's student center. Kacsmaryk ruled that the university could lawfully bar the show, concluding it did not qualify as protected speech and conflicted with the school's stated mission."
U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk upheld West Texas A&M University's decision to block a student-organized drag show, concluding the event could lawfully be barred. The ruling denied relief to Spectrum WT, an LGBTQ+ student organization that sought to hold a drag performance in Legacy Hall, an indoor venue in the student center. Kacsmaryk adopted language from university president Walter Wendler, stating that drag "does not preserve a single thread of human dignity" and characterizing it as stereotypical and degrading. The judge concluded the performance did not constitute protected speech and conflicted with the university's stated mission. The opinion frames drag as inherently degrading and likens it to racist caricature, reinforcing a pattern of rulings limiting LGBTQ+ protections.
Read at Advocate.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]