The ACLU of Texas fights drag show restrictions in court, a doctor leaves Louisiana after anti-LGBTQ bills pass, and Oklahoma's governor's executive order defines "male" and "female."
ACLU Fights Drag Show Restrictions in Court
According to ABC News, the ACLU of Texas is representing groups and individuals affected by Senate Bill 12. The law, which will go into effect on Sept. 1, would ban "sexualized performances and drag shows in the presence of a minor,” according to a statement from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
The ACLU of Texas is arguing that the law is unconstitutional by violating the First and Fourteenth amendments. They also argue that the law can affect several types of performances such as Broadway plays, cheerleading routines, and drag shows from spaces where individuals under 18 are in attendance.
The organization said the state "has threatened the livelihood and free expression of many Texans."
Doctor Leaves State After Anti-LGBTQ Bills Pass
Jake Kleimahon via ochsner.org.
According to NBC News, one of Louisiana’s few doctors who specializes in pediatric heart conditions is moving away from the state after recent anti-LGBT legislation passed. Dr. Jake Kleinmahon is the medical director of pediatric heart transplant, heart failure and ventricular assist device programs at Ochsner Hospital for Children in New Orleans. He told WDSU, an NBC affiliate in New Orleans, that he and his husband no longer feel welcome in the state.
In June, the state approved several anti-LGBT bills, including a ban on youth gender-affirming care.
“I think lawmakers need to understand the ramifications of the bills they put forward,” Kleinmahon told WDSU.
He wrote on Instagram that he has accepted a position in New York.
Governor’s Executive Order Defines ‘Male’ and ‘Female’
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. Photo by The White House via Wikipedia Commons.
According to the Associated Press, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order on Aug. 1 that requires state agencies to define “female” and “male” according to a person’s reproductive system. The order has additional definitions for the words “man,” “boy,” “woman,” “girl,” “father” and “mother,” all relating to a person’s assigned sex at birth.
The order additionally calls for schools and other state agencies to use this terminology when collecting statistics and to create sex-segregated bathrooms.
The order has been called “The Women’s Bill of Rights” by its supporters such as Independent Women’s Voice, a group that includes former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines.
“Today we’re taking a stand against this out-of-control gender ideology that is eroding the very foundation of our society,” Stitt said. “We are going to be safeguarding the very essence of what it means to be a woman.”
Nicole McAfee, executive director of LGBT rights organization Freedom Oklahoma, disagreed.
“This executive order is neither about rights, nor is it about protecting women,” McAfee said.
