U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled on Tuesday that Texas' ban on drag shows is unconstitutional, declaring that the law restricts speech and ordering the state to stop enforcing it permanently. The ruling blocks a law signed by Governor Greg Abbott in June 2023 that banned "sexually oriented performances" with civil and criminal penalties. The judge suggested that those who find drag shows offensive can simply choose not to attend. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has vowed to appeal the decision, calling it "flawed" and arguing that it will endanger children.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
A U.S. district court judge has ruled that Texas' law banning drag shows is unconstitutional, blocking the state from enforcing it. U.S. District Judge David Hittner issued the ruling on Tuesday, stating that Senate Bill 12 restricts free speech and is therefore invalid. The law, signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2023, aimed to ban "sexually oriented performances" with civil penalties for businesses hosting them and criminal charges for performers. Judge Hittner's decision notes that the law is too vague, allowing a single erotic moment in a performance to trigger penalties, including up to $10,000 in fines for businesses. The judge also quoted Dolly Parton in his ruling, saying that just as people criticized her for being a "voluptuous sex symbol", drag performers could be unfairly targeted under the law. This is not the first time the law has been challenged; a court initially ruled it unconstitutional in 2023, but an appeals court allowed it to take effect while sending the case back to district court for review.
Written for “Texas Drag Show Ban Ruling” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.00, but none of the 2 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
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Leaning score withheld for article 2511: no verified evidence · logged 2026-08-27
A U.S. district court has blocked Texas from banning drag performances as unconstitutional, ruling that the solution to the problem is for those who find such events offensive to just not attend.
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events → block → problem
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 12 into law in June 2023 to ban "sexually oriented performances" via civil penalties on businesses that host them and criminal penalties on performers.
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that → sign → performers
It has been debated in the courts since, with a court ruling it unconstitutional in 2023 and an appeals court in February allowing it to take effect while sending the case back to the district court for review.
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it → debate → review
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David Hittner, a Reagan appointee who issued the 2023 ruling, declared Senate Bill 12 an unconstitutional restriction on speech and ordered that the state be permanently enjoined from enforcing it.
"Finally, for those who find such activities as described in this case offensive, the solution is relatively simple ... just don't go," Hittner said.
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Hittner → issue → case
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for the U.S. Senate with President Donald Trump's endorsement, called the ruling in a statement "flawed," arguing without proof that it will endanger children while being "an affront to Texas values.
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it → run → values
"
"I will appeal this decision immediately and continue to fight to protect our kids," he said online.
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he → appeal → kids
Meanwhile, civil rights and LGBTQ advocates celebrated the ruling.
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rights → celebrate → ruling
"Today's decision confirms that the legislature's attempt to ban drag performances was unconstitutional from start to finish," Brian Klosterboer, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which filed the original lawsuit in August 2023, said in a statement.
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which → confirm → statement
"This law stifled free expression across our state and made people afraid to engage in or attend drag shows and other performances.
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people → stifle → shows
But all Texans -- no matter our gender or background -- are guaranteed the right to free expression."
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Texans → guarantee → expression
Brigitte Bandit, a drag performer and a plaintiff in the case, said the ruling was "a relief."
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ruling → say → case
"As a lifelong Texan, I'm sick of this state trying to censor art and stoke hatred and violence against drag artists and the LGBTQIA+ community.
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state → try → artists
No one should be punished for performing drag, and I wish lawmakers would take steps to protect kids from real dangers in our state instead of trying to divide and marginalize us."
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lawmakers → punish → us
