AUSTIN, Texas — The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas filed a motion for a temporary restraining order on Thursday asking a federal court to block enforcement of the state’s drag performance law on behalf of a local company whose upcoming shows have been canceled since the law took effect last week.
The ACLU of Texas and Baker Botts filed a motion for a temporary restraining order March 19 on behalf of Extragrams, which provides personalized drag performances at private and commercial events.
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According to the motion, a hotel canceled a series of drag brunches Extragrams had scheduled for March 29, April 26 and May 31 after Senate Bill 12 took effect on March 18.
“The legal fight against Texas’ law targeting drag artists and those who support them is far from over,” said Brian Klosterboer, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas. “S.B. 12 is still vague, unconstitutional and problematic.”
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SB 12 prohibits performances featuring nudity or certain sexual conduct deemed to appeal to a prurient interest in sex in the presence of minors, with fines of $10,000 for business owners who host such shows. A federal district court struck the law down as unconstitutional in 2023, but the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it in February and returned the case to the lower court for further analysis.