Mary Rooke Commentary and Analysis Writer
Texas A&M University, which has been under consistent pressure from state lawmakers to clear out left-wing ideology from its campus, is now facing a Democrat-led campaign to force the school to bring back drag shows on campus.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Queer Empowerment Council (QEC), a student organization that hosts the drag show, Draggieland.
“We refuse to let Texas A&M dictate which voices belong on campus,” a QEC statement reads. “Drag is self-expression, drag is discovery, drag is empowerment, and no amount of censorship will silence us.”
The lawsuit, filed against Texas A&M, asks a court in the Southern District of Texas to halt enforcement of the drag ban.
“We refuse to let Texas A&M dictate which voices belong on campus,” a statement from the Queer Empowerment Council reads.
— The Battalion (@TheBattOnline) March 5, 2025
Draggieland has been an active event at Texas A&M for six years. It is typically hosted on the school campus at the Rudder Theater.
The lawsuit names the Texas A&M Board of Regents, its Chancellor John Sharp, and President Mark Welsh. The group canceled campus drag queen shows because they are “inconsistent with [the system’s] mission and core values,” “promote gender ideology,” and “may create a hostile environment for women.” (Sign up for Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!)
In addition to the lawsuit, student organizations led by the Texas Aggie Democrats plan to begin protesting on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., claiming the decision to end the drag shows on campus violates free speech.
Several student organizations, led by the Texas Aggie Democrats, have announced a protest in support of Draggieland and student speech. The demonstration is set for tomorrow, Thursday, and begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Academic Plaza. https://t.co/HGqmNeCUIG
— The Battalion (@TheBattOnline) March 6, 2025
Free speech should not cover degeneracy, but unfortunately in our country, the courts have ruled several times that it does. In 2023, U.S. District Judge David Hittner, a Reagan appointee, ruled that Texas Senate Bill 12, a statewide restriction on drag performances for minors, was unconstitutional.
However, that same year West Texas A&M President Walter Wendler canceled a student drag show, claiming it was misogynistic. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmark upheld the cancellation saying that universities can regulate campus shows to protect minors. Students are appealing the ruling with the Fifth Circuit Court. The U.S. Supreme Court declined an emergency injunction, letting the cancellation stand until the Fifth Circuit Court decides. (Democrats Destroying Their Most Powerful Weapon To Defeat Trump)
The reality is it’s all performative. An objective observer, whether you like drag shows or not, can see that most of these shows are overtly sexual, parodies of women. Take the show off campus. Fling around your fake breasts, and terrible wigs at an LGBTQ bar off campus where federal and state taxes do not have to fund it.
The organizer of Boise “Drag Kids,” an OnlyFans performer named Riley Burrows (“they/she/him”), has vowed to continue the program, which was advertised as featuring child drag queens as young as 11 years old. pic.twitter.com/wK6LC3Mx5p
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) September 12, 2022
The left insists on forcing their ideologies into every facet of our lives. College students absolutely have the right to attend drag shows, but that doesn’t mean state universities should be forced to play host.
Welsh and the rest of the administrators at Texas A&M did the right thing. Still, there is no telling what the courts will decide with this lawsuit. The university will likely be forced to adhere to the left’s wishes and drag shows like Draggieland will be invited back.
However, parents will watch which colleges and universities oppose this degeneracy and which placate the left to avoid the headache.
If the November election taught the left anything, it’s that parents are getting into the fight. Every day, Americans cringe when thinking about where their children will attend college. They don’t want to pay tuition if it means that their money is subsidizing ideologies that are antithetical to their family’s belief system.
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