{"id":417419,"date":"2026-08-26T17:08:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T17:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/417419\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T17:08:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T17:08:23","slug":"dolly-parton-cited-by-judge-as-he-strikes-down-texas-drag-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/417419\/","title":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton Cited By Judge As He Strikes Down Texas Drag Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tOn the same day Dolly Parton<\/a> died, a federal judge cited the legendary singer as he struck down a 2023 Texas law restricting drag shows \u2014 ruling the \u201csweeping\u201d statute was so broad that even the late star might have faced criminal penalties for how she dressed.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a decision on Tuesday (Aug. 26), Judge David Hittner ruled that the statute, known as Texas Senate Bill 12, was unconstitutional because it violated the First Amendment by infringing the freedom of speech.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Dolly<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tThe law is so vague that even \u201ca single moment of eroticism could condemn an entire performance to criminal or civil penalties,\u201d the judge said, before invoking Parton \u2014 who famously wore bright colors and low-necklines.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cJust as many people\u2026 chastised Dolly Parton as a voluptuous sex symbol because of her big hair, flamboyant clothes and breast exposure,\u201d the judge wrote, \u201cthere are \u2018erotic\u2019 elements in countless popular performances that could be subject to both civil and criminal penalties under S.B. 12.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tParton passed away earlier<\/a> on Tuesday at the age of 80, sparking mass mourning for a legendary country singer and songwriter who spent half a century in the public eye. Hittner\u2019s reference appears to be coincidental; it doesn\u2019t reference her death and was likely written before the news was reported.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut it was just one of several mentions of Parton in the ruling. The drag performer who challenged the law sometimes performed as Parton on stage, the judge wrote. And he said the law, which banned performances that are \u201cin some sense erotic,\u201d is so broad that it could criminalize \u201ca Dolly Parton impersonator who uses a breast plate while dancing and making gestures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe judge also cited other famous examples of musical artists who might have been subject to the Texas law, including Elvis<\/a> and his \u201csignature hip gyrations\u201d and Miley Cyrus<\/a> for \u201ctwerking on stage during a live performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThese are just a handful of traditionally constitutionally protected performances that S.B. 12 would prohibit,\u201d Judge Hittner wrote. \u201cThis court need not list additional hypotheticals to which S.B. 12 would apply because the potential applications are limitless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tEnacted in 2023, S.B. 12 banned sexual gestures that use \u201caccessories or prosthetics that exaggerate male or female sexual characteristics.\u201d Violators can face up to a year in jail, and businesses hosting events can be fined $10,000 for each violation. An earlier version of the bill included explicit references to drag shows, but they were removed prior to passage in response to criticism.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe law was part of a slew of such statutes passed by Republican-controlled legislatures in 2022 and 2023. A similar law in Florida was struck down in court<\/a> on similar free speech grounds, but one in Tennessee was allowed to go into effect after the Supreme Court refused to hear the case.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe judge, who previously issued an injunction<\/a> refusing to allow the law to go into effect, concluded his ruling with a bit of plain-spoken advice: \u201cFor those who find such activities as described in this case offensive, the solution is relatively simple\u2026 just don\u2019t go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe decision can and likely will be appealed to a federal appeals court and then if necessary to the U.S. Supreme Court. A spokesperson for the Texas attorney general\u2019s office did not immediately return a request for comment.<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
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