What Texas A&M’s Drag Show Ban Will Mean For Academic Culture

crowd of people waving rainbow colored flags

Texas A&M University System has implemented a sweeping ban on drag shows across all 11 of its campuses, citing alignment with conservative values while facing accusations of First Amendment violations.

Key Takeaways

The Texas A&M Board of Regents unanimously passed a resolution banning drag shows from all public facilities across its 11 universities.
Officials justified the ban by claiming drag shows violate orders from President Trump and Governor Abbott to recognize only two sexes and create a “hostile environment for women.”
The ban directly impacts annual student events like Draggieland, organized by Texas A&M’s Queer Empowerment Council.
Civil liberties experts have warned the ban likely violates First Amendment protections, with previous similar restrictions being ruled unconstitutional.
The decision follows Texas’ 2023 law banning DEI and LGBTQ offices in higher education institutions.

Texas A&M System Implements Ban Across All Campuses

The Board of Regents at Texas A&M University System voted to ban drag performances across all 11 of its public universities. The resolution, passed with one abstention, cites concerns about “sexualized, vulgar or lewd conduct” and claims such performances could create a hostile environment for women. Campus administrators have been instructed to cancel any upcoming drag events and revise venue policies accordingly. The ban affects facilities at major campuses including the flagship College Station location, Tarleton State, and Prairie View A&M.

University officials claim the ban aligns with recent directives from President Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott to recognize only two sexes in educational policies. The resolution states that drag shows are “inconsistent with the A&M System’s mission and core values” and do not promote what the board considers appropriate gender representation. Several regents emphasized the institution’s right to limit venue usage to events they believe align with the university system’s educational mission.

The @tamusystem Board of Regents passed a resolution to ban drag shows across its 11 campuses, citing both executive orders from @realDonaldTrump and @GregAbbott_TX. A drag show protest is planned for later this week. https://t.co/yqX1r7pTyZ

— The Texan (@TheTexanNews) March 3, 2025

Impact on Student Organizations and Campus Life

The resolution’s immediate casualty is Draggieland, an annual event organized by the student Queer Empowerment Council at Texas A&M’s College Station campus. This popular student-run event must now seek venues off-campus. Student organizers have expressed dismay about losing what had become an important cultural and community event. The decision comes amid broader restrictions on LGBTQ campus activities following Texas’ 2023 law eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public universities.

“It really was an awesome place where people could come and express themselves. It definitely draws the biggest audience out of any queer event here, and the fact that it happened on campus was a really big deal, because there’s really not a lot of similar events like that at that magnitude or scale.” said Draggieland organizer Kelly Risch.

This isn’t the first time an A&M institution has restricted drag performances. In 2023, West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler unilaterally canceled a student drag charity show, triggering a faculty no-confidence vote and a federal free speech lawsuit that remains ongoing. That controversy foreshadowed the system-wide ban, with critics noting the similar justifications used in both instances about protecting women from alleged degradation.

Texas A&M's Board of Regents voted to ban drag shows on all 11 of the system's campuses, calling drag shows "inconsistent with the System’s mission and core values."https://t.co/Xx2PDVcny0

— Chron (@chron) March 1, 2025

Legal and Constitutional Concerns

Free speech advocates have quickly condemned the ban as an unconstitutional restriction on expression. A similar Texas law attempting to restrict drag performances was previously struck down by a federal judge who ruled it violated First Amendment protections. Legal experts predict the A&M System will face similar challenges. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression has already signaled the ban’s constitutional problems.

“Drag is protected expression. Full stop. Whether drag or Bible study, public universities cannot ban or punish students’ protected expression. Banning speech because it might offend someone else is viewpoint discrimination, the third rail of the First Amendment.” said JT Morris, a lawyer with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

JT Morris, senior attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, criticized the regents for “imposing a restraint on an entire category of protected speech.” The ACLU of Texas also condemned the resolution, and Equality Texas representative Sofia Sepulveda pointed out the irony of claiming to protect women while the university system has significant gender disparities in faculty hiring. When questioned about potential First Amendment issues, a Texas A&M System spokesperson declined to address these concerns.

The ban represents the latest development in ongoing tensions between conservative education policies and campus expression. As the resolution takes effect immediately, students and civil liberties organizations are preparing potential legal challenges, suggesting this may become another test case for free speech protections at public universities.