The Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council has sued Texas A&M University officials for allegedly violating First Amendment rights by canceling a planned drag show.
The outcome of this case could set a precedent for the future of LGBTQ+ events and rights at Texas A&M, making it a significant legal battle.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, known as FIRE, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the LGBTQ+ student organization, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.
On Thursday, FIRE requested a temporary restraining order until the court can rule on a preliminary injunction to allow the Draggieland event to take place on March 27. According to news reports, students protested the drag show ban on campus Thursday.
“We refuse to let Texas A&M dictate which voices belong on campus,” the Queer Empowerment Council said in a statement. “Drag is self-expression, drag is discovery, drag is empowerment, and no amount of censorship will silence us.”
The lawsuit stems from a Texas A&M board of regents Feb. 28 meeting in which they voted unanimously to ban drag events from Texas A&M’s 11 campuses.
The resolution states drag shows are “inconsistent with the System’s mission and core values of its Universities.” It bans special event venues from being used for drag shows and states that “the drag shows involve sexualized, vulgar or lewd conduct that demeans women.”
The resolution effectively canceled “Draggieland,” a drag show at Texas A&M, scheduled for March 27 at the 750-seat Rudder Theatre at the College Station campus. The event, which has been a symbol of LGBTQ+ visibility and acceptance at the university since 2020, holds significant emotional and cultural value for the community, according to the lawsuit.
FIRE filed the lawsuit on Wednesday against William “Bill” Mahomes, Robert L. Albritton, David C. Baggett, John W. Bellinger, James R. “Randy” Brooks, Jay Graham, Michael A. “Mike” Hernandez III, Michael J. Plank, Sam Torn, and Cage Sawyers, in their official capacities as members of the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M University System.
The lawsuit also listed John Sharp, in his official capacity as chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, and Mark A. Welsh III, in his official capacity as president of Texas A&M University, as defendants.
A woman reached the president’s office said no one could comment on the lawsuit.
The student organization alleges that the Drag Ban Resolution and the cancellation of Draggieland constitute viewpoint and content discrimination, violating their First Amendment rights. They allege that the resolution targets their expressive conduct based on its perceived message and ideology, which is unconstitutional.
The plaintiff also asserts that the Board of Regents violated the Texas Open Meetings Act, a law designed to ensure transparency and public participation in government, by failing to provide adequate public notice of the February 28, 2025, special meeting at which the Drag Ban Resolution was adopted. They seek to void the actions taken during this meeting due to the violation of the Act.
The Queer Empowerment Council is also requesting a judgment declaring the Drag Ban Resolution unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. It also requests an injunction voiding the actions taken during the meeting of the Board of Regents.