Identity of Speakers
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Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council
Student
OtherA community organization with the aim to united LGBTQ+ organizations on and to work together to act as a resource for LGBTQ+ students at Tat Texas A&M
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Recognized student group event
Lawsuit
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Litigation
State Campus Free Speech Act
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Incident Status:
In litigation Federal District Court
In litigation Federal Court of Appeals
Appealed
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
In early 2025, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents banned all drag performances across its 11 campuses, citing concerns related to gender ideology, potential Title IX conflicts, and the belief that drag might be demeaning to women. The ban threatened to cancel “Draggieland,” a longstanding student-organized drag show at Texas A&M.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council, arguing that the ban violated students’ First Amendment rights. On March 24, 2025, the U.S. District Court Judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the ban, ruling that drag shows are a form of protected theatrical expression. The judge rejected claims that such performances are inherently vulgar or harmful.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately appealed the ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In the appeal, Paxton invoked a Trump executive order to argue that allowing drag on campus could jeopardize federal funding by promoting gender-related “ideology” in violation of federal directives.
