Tennessee’s law against drag queens was ruled unconstitutional

A federal judge appointed by Donald Trump annul – rescind Tennessee Friday night statute criminalizes certain drag queen performances in public. Last March, the Republican governor of this southern US state was the first to take such action “ridiculous” and “dangerous” from the White House.

Justice Thomas Parker ruled in his decision that the law was “unconstitutionally vague and grossly excessive” and that it opened the way for “discriminatory enforcement”. “There is no doubt that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. But there is a difference between what is “obscene” in common parlance and what is “obscene” under the law,” the judge wrote. In other words, no majority of the Supreme Court has held that sexually explicit—but not obscene—speech enjoys less protection than political, artistic, or scientific speech.

The law was intended to ban cabaret performances for adults in public places or wherever minors might be present. Artists who break the law risk committing a misdemeanor or felony if they do it again.

One of the law’s advocates wanted the state to appeal that decision.

(AP Photo)