A federal judge in Montana continues to prevent the enforcement of a law that imposes restrictions on drag shows and prohibits drag reading events in public schools and libraries.

The judge stated on Friday that this law targets freedom of speech and expression, and both its text and legislative history show evidence of hostility towards the LGBTQ+ community.

This preliminary injunction, granted by U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris, halts the implementation of the law while a lawsuit filed on July 6 progresses through the legal process.

Morris presided over arguments regarding the injunction on August 28, the Associated Press reported.

The law aims to prohibit minors from attending “sexually oriented performances” and bans such performances in public places where children are present.

However, it lacks clear definitions for many of the terms used in the law, causing individuals to self-censor due to fear of prosecution, as argued by the plaintiffs’ attorneys.

Furthermore, the law marked Montana as the first state to explicitly prohibit drag kings and drag queens, defined as performers adopting flamboyant or parodic male or female personas with glamorous or exaggerated costumes and makeup, from reading books to children in public schools or libraries, even if these performances lack a sexual element.

Written by staff