A Tennessee court upholds its drag ban, the community rallies for LGBTQ support in schools in Virginia, and a lawmaker in Michigan proposes overturning marriage equality.
Court Upholds ‘Drag Ban.’ Advocates Aren’t Worried
The state’s “ban” on drag was preserved after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear challenges to the law, but a technicality is leaving many LGBTQ advocates and performers hopeful.
Tennessee’s ACLU and the state’s attorney general noted that the law isn’t a drag ban –– it instead references “adult cabaret” with no “artistic” value.
Therefore, many drag performances are safe from the clutches of the law. An appeals court found that an LGBTQ theater troupe didn’t have grounds to challenge the law because its performances weren’t subject to the law in the first place.
While the state’s ACLU legal director said fear of the law is understandable, Tennessee drag performers shouldn’t worry about prosecution.
Community Rallies For LGBTQ Support In Schools
Photo via Unsplash.
Students, parents and public school staff in Arlington joined forces to make sure students are protected from anti-LGBTQ laws, according to WUSA9.
The community gathered at a recent protest event, armed with Pride flags and signs.
One student wore Pride colors to represent inclusivity.
“I decided I wanted to be here because I support people of all genders,” the student said. “[The Pride] flag says that hate has no place here because they don’t deserve to be mean.”
Other students attended the protest to show support for the trans community, which has faced intense scrutiny from the Trump administration.
The Arlington Public Schools superintendent assured the community the district would fight to protect all students.
Lawmaker Proposes Overturning Marriage Equality
State Rep. Josh Schriver. Photo via gophouse.org.
State Rep. Josh Schriver’s resolution that urges the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its decision that legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states has drawn sharp criticism from other Michigan leaders.
Schriver said in a news conference that court’s 2015 decision on same-sex marriage “defaced the definition of marriage, undermined our God-given rights, increased persecution of Christians and confused the American family structure.”
Schriver’s resolution was presented alongside six co-sponsors, all of which were conservative state legislators.
But it won’t go far – the Supreme Court doesn’t revisit cases based on resolutions from state legislators, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Although it likely won’t do much legal damage, the implications of the action alone struck a chord with prominent Democratic leaders and the queer community as the Trump administration has consistently targeted LGBTQ people.
"In Michigan, everyone has the freedom to marry who they love," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. "It's not only the law of the land, it's a nonnegotiable. Right now, however, some extreme members of the Michigan Legislature are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality. Here's my response to that: Hell, no."
