The Texas A&M College System Board of Regents on Friday handed a decision banning all drag performances from happening on its 11 college campuses.
Which means Draggieland, a beloved annual occasion scheduled for March 27 on the Rudder Theatre on the School Station campus, must discover a new venue. College students have additionally held drag exhibits at Texas A&M College Corpus Christi and East Texas A&M College.
The transfer probably units up one other First Modification combat between college students and college directors.
The decision says the board acknowledges the necessity for universities to foster a way of neighborhood and belonging amongst college students however provides that drag exhibits are “inconsistent with [the system’s] mission and core values, together with the worth of respect for others.”
The decision additionally says drag exhibits are “more likely to create or contribute to a hostile surroundings for girls,” opposite to college and federal anti discrimination insurance policies.
“These occasions typically contain unwelcome and objectively offensive conduct based mostly on intercourse for a lot of members of the respective communities of the colleges, notably after they contain the mockery or objectification of girls,” the decision says.
The decision says having on-campus drag exhibits could also be seen as selling gender ideology and that each President Donald J. Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott have stated federal and state funds will not be used for that objective. It directs the system’s chancellor and the president of every establishment to implement the coverage, together with canceling any upcoming drag exhibits.
The vote was unanimous. Regent Mike Hernandez III was absent.
“They’re imposing a restraint on a whole class of protected speech below the First Modification and in no public school campus ought to that ever happen per our Structure,” stated JT Morris, senior lawyer on the Basis for Particular person Rights and Expression, of the regent’s resolution Friday.
In 2023, West Texas A&M College President Walter Wendler canceled an on-campus drag present, equally arguing such performances degrade ladies.
The scholars stated his feedback have been off base and sued him for violating their First Modification rights in addition to a state regulation that prohibits universities from barring scholar organizations from utilizing their amenities on the idea of the political, non secular, philosophical, ideological or educational viewpoints the organizations specific. Morris is representing the scholars in that case. The court docket has allowed Wendler’s cancellation to face whereas it comes to a decision.
Civil rights teams additionally condemned the decision. Ash Corridor, coverage and advocacy strategist for LGBTQIA+ rights on the ACLU of Texas, stated the West Texas A&M lawsuit plus one her group spearheaded and in the end blocked a statewide ban on drag exhibits “makes this sort of absurd.”
“To do that now, whereas that’s already occurring, is a waste of time and sources and makes it look like the Board of Regents is extra centered on tradition wars than educating their college students,” they stated.
Sofia Sepulveda, discipline director for Equality Texas, famous that not all drag is carried out by males.
“Ladies performers additionally enjoyment of an opportunity to poke enjoyable at stereotypes which have held ladies again for generations,” she stated.
She additionally criticized the gender disparities among the many flagship’s college.
“If A&M is nervous about making a hostile surroundings for girls, then why don’t they rent extra ladies?” Sepulveda stated. “Proper now, solely 40% of the school at Texas A&M are ladies, 60% are males. That’s a severe challenge.”
Draggieland organizers have stated the occasion is a crucial outlet for the LGBTQ+ neighborhood at a time when it has come below assault from conservative policymakers in Texas and throughout the nation.
College students raised funds to maintain the present going when the college stopped sponsoring it in 2022. Within the years since, they’ve seen LGBTQ+ illustration and sources on campus diminish.
Final 12 months, the system’s flagship minimize an LGBTQ+ research minor and stopped providing gender-affirming care on the Beutel Pupil Well being Middle.
Regents have been additionally anticipated to debate Friday who needs to be the system’s subsequent chief after Chancellor John Sharp retires this 12 months. Regents met in Houston earlier this week to interview candidates. They didn’t decide on a finalist Friday.
The Texas Tribune companions with Open Campus on larger training protection.
Disclosure: Equality Texas, Texas A&M College, Texas A&M College System and West Texas A&M College have been monetary supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information group that’s funded partially by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Monetary supporters play no position within the Tribune’s journalism. Discover a full record of them right here.
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This text initially appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/28/texas-am-system-drag-shows-draggieland/.
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