The Supreme Court on Friday denied an emergency petition by a college student group to allow a charity drag show to be held on West Texas A&M University’s campus in Canyon later this month.
“The petition for a writ of injunction pending appeal filed with Judge Alito and referred to the court by him is denied,” the court said in its decision.
Spectrum WT, a group that describes itself as LGBTQIA+ students and allies who meet weekly and host various community events, filed a lawsuit last year accusing the school of violating its free speech rights.
The school told Fox News Digital it does not comment on pending litigation. Fox News Digital reached out to Spectrum WT.
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The Supreme Court on Friday denied an emergency petition by a Texas school group to allow a charity drag show to be held on West Texas A&M University’s campus later this month. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
The Foundation for Individual Rights Expression, a nonprofit free speech advocacy group representing students, told Fox News Digital: “FIRE is disappointed in today’s denial of the emergency injunction, but we are committed to supporting our client’s amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I will continue to fight for my Article 1 rights.” The Fifth Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case next month. The show isn’t over. ”
The students ultimately held last year’s show off-campus, but are continuing to sue to prevent the school from holding future shows.
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Last year, the school’s president, Walter Wendler, wrote in an open letter posted on the school’s website titled “A harmless drag show? There is no such thing” that the event was a fundraiser for The Trevor Project. He said he considered it to have been planned for the purpose. He did not believe that drag shows “maintained a single line of human dignity.”
West Texas A&M’s president called drag shows “misogynistic.” (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Wendler said the Trevor Project’s work on suicide prevention is “noble,” but drag shows are “misogynistic” and “reduce women to cartoonish extremes for the entertainment of others.” ” he wrote.
“Drag shows, whatever their intent, are mocking, divisive, demoralizing and misogynistic,” he said, likening them to blackface.
Spectrum WT argues in its lawsuit that “the First Amendment protects against expression, including performance theater (like drag shows), whether it is highly praised by supporters or poorly regarded by detractors. It protects conduct.”
West Texas A&M University campus in Canyon, Texas. (Google Maps)
But last September, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that “it has not been clearly established whether all drag shows are inherently expressive,” and the group’s request for a preliminary injunction. was rejected.
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The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled arguments in the case for late April.
Reuters contributed to this report.
