The Tennessee drug show ban continues to take effect when children are present as the Supreme Court refused to hear about the challenges brought to laws by drug performance groups earlier this week.
The state's Adult Entertainment Act, passed in 2023, does not allow “adult-oriented performance” in public spaces or places where minors may see them.
“Free speech is a sacred American value, but the initial amendment does not require Tennessee to allow sexually explicit performance in front of children,” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skulmetti said in a post in X.
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A federal judge ruled that the law specifically targeting drug shows would temporarily suspend enforcement, saying it was “unconstitutional, ambiguous and practically broad.” However, in July, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision, claiming that a friend of George's Inc., a Memphis-based theatre company that filed the lawsuit, lacked a position to challenge the law.
Another lawsuit challenging the ban filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is still ongoing on behalf of another LGBTQ+ advocacy group, Blount County Pride.
Fox News Digital reached out to Friends of George's Inc. and ACLU but did not receive a response by publication time.
Tennessee lawsuit limits drug shows dismissed by federal courts in a victory for Republicans
Scotus refuses to listen to the restrictions on drug shows that children attend. (Getty Images)
Violators who fail to comply with the Adult Entertainment Act could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, but the second or third offence is a Class E felony. Both can bring fines and prison time between 11 months and six years.
“We are proud that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld yet another Tennessee law protecting our children. SB3 ensures that Tennessee children are not exposed to sexually explicit entertainment.” I said in X's post. Johnson was one of the bill's sponsors in 2023.
The Supreme Court has another lawsuit brought by the ACLU, challenging Tennessee law and prohibiting transgender health care and procedures for minors.
In that case, the court is considering whether the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which ensures equal treatment under individual law in similar circumstances, prevents healthcare providers from preventing adolescent blockers and hormonal treatments in children seeking transgender surgery.
Like this drag queen story hour in Los Angeles in July 2019, drag queen events aimed at families with children have been the flashpoint for American politics. (David McNew/Getty Images)
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Speaking to Fox News Digital last month, Skrmetti expressed cautious optimism about the positive outcome.
“Momentum seems to have been almost culturally altered on these issues, and seeing them trying to rewrite the law through creative review, through creative regulations, people alienate people from the laws that bind them, which is bad for America.”
“We'll know what the Supreme Court will do when the Supreme Court does that,” he added.
The High Court is expected to govern the case by June.
