Florida banned drag shows anywhere kids might see it. A court today reminded the state that the U.S. Constitution's first amendment prohibits it from doing that. It is the third time this month that laws there targeting LGBTQ+ people have been flicked out of play by Federal courts.
Hamburger Mary's argued the law was written so broadly as to have a "chilling effect" on First Amendment rights to free speech as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The judge agreed, finding the plaintiff was likely to succeed at trial on First Amendment grounds. "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 wrote.
The governor's office is reduced to blurting out inane objections along the lines "it's a ban on sexualizing children"–political chum with no legal meaning or purpose at all. But even the sharks aren't that interested.
