DeSantis Furious as Federal Judge Halts Florida Law Limiting Drag Shows

Photo byPhoto by: Gage Skidmore

A federal judge has halted a new Florida law limiting drag performances.

This is not the first time federal judges supported LGBTQ+ rights this month. Federal courts have stopped DeSantis on three separate occasions from targeting LGBTQ communities.

DeSantis failed all three cases because the legislation appeared to violate people's constitutional rights.

Fighting against basic rights

In its judgment, U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell of the Middle District of Florida granted an injunction blocking the state from implementing a law that prohibits minors from attending obscene live performances is excessively broad.

The judge declined to remove the statute altogether, so the underlying lawsuit opposing it will continue.

According to the governor's office, the judge was "dead wrong," and the state will prevail on appeal.

Hamburger Mary's, an Orlando pub and restaurant that hosts drag show performances, comedy routines, and dance, filed the complaint in reaction to a statute DeSantis passed in May.

Hamburger Mary's claimed the regulation was phrased so broadly to have a "chilling effect" on the First Amendment rights to free speech granted by the United States Constitution.

The judge concluded that the plaintiff would likely prevail on First Amendment defenses at trial.

"Florida already has statutes that provide such protection (from obscene performances). Rather, this statute is specifically designed to suppress the speech of drag queen performers," Presnell said.

Although many drag performers are gay, the genre is becoming increasingly popular.

Drag is opposed by some who link it to larger LGBTQ concerns that conservatives see as at odds with their traditional values.

A different court overturned a Florida law and ruled that prohibited Medicaid reimbursements for transgender medical care.

DeSantis has played a vital role in the conservative movement to dismiss LGBTQ+ rights.

What do you think about DeSantis trying to eradicate LGBTQ+ communities?

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