NASHVILLE (LifeSiteNews) — A U.S. federal district judge imposed a temporary block on a Tennessee law that would prohibit minors from attending sexually explicit performances hours before it was set to take effect.
Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker issued the block Friday following a lawsuit filed by Friends of George’s, an LGBT-affiliated theater in Memphis early last week. Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, and Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy were named as defendants in the suit.
According to Parker’s ruling, the law was “likely both vague and overly-broad,” noting that the law does not specify what kind of public space or venue is covered by the law.
“Does a citizen’s private residence count? How about a camping ground at a national park? What if a minor browsing the worldwide web from a public library views an ‘adult cabaret performance’?” Parker wrote. “Ultimately, the Statute’s broad language clashes with the First Amendment’s tight constraints.”
Parker further argued that the state failed to make a compelling argument for the necessity of the law.
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The law, signed by Lee early last month, prohibited the exposure of minors to all “adult cabaret entertainment,” such as “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest.”
The law also added additional language to an existing law creating a 1,000-foot buffer zone between all such performances and public property, schools, public parks, and places of worship where minors could potentially watch them. A first offense would constitute a misdemeanor, while subsequent violations would carry felony charges.
Mulroy, a Democrat, spoke to the Associated Press about the law, saying, “There has been much concern and confusion about the law from the community.” “This will allow the court to clarify the scope, application, and constitutionality of the statute. It’s important to understand the scope of this law so that it doesn’t have a harmful effect on constitutionally protected expression,” he continued.
An official from Skrmetti’s office told LifeSite that it was unable to comment on the temporary block pending litigation.
Tennessee is not the only Republican-led state that enacted a prohibition on minors from attending sexually charged performances this year.
In February, Arkansas enacted a law that prohibited minors from attending drag shows and other “adult-oriented performances.” Also in February, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey called for a ban on drag shows as part of school curriculum. The demand came after a group of kids were brought to a drag event as part of a school-sponsored celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.
As exposing children to sexually explicit entertainment in the form of cross-dressing men singing and dancing provocatively has become more common, conservative leaders have introduced and passed legislation to protect minors from such exposure.
In June 2022, footage of minors at a homosexual bar in Dallas went viral on social media, leading a Republican congressman to introduce a bill that would ban children from attending drag shows and “inappropriate displays” in Texas. Shortly after, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his consideration of implementing similar laws, prompted by public backlash of drag events geared towards children.
READ: DeSantis revokes Orlando venue’s liquor license for hosting obscene drag show with children present