A federal appeals court on Monday blocked West Texas A&M University from banning student drag performances on its campus, overruling a lower court order that claimed First Amendment protections do not extend to drag shows.

The 2-1 decision from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asserts the university acted unconstitutionally when it canceled student-organized charity drag performances in 2023 and 2024. In a March 2023 email to students, faculty and staff titled, “A Harmless Drag Show? No Such Thing,” university President Walter Wendler said drag discriminates against women and compared it to blackface.

“West Texas A&M University will not host a drag show on campus,” Wendler wrote in the email, which also referenced his Christian religious beliefs. The school, part of the Texas A&M University System, is public and not religiously affiliated.

“I will not appear to condone the diminishment of any group at the expense of........

© The Hill