Texas university president cancels student drag fundraiser

A student drag show aimed at raising money for the LGBTQ community was cancelled on Monday 20 March by West Texas A&M University’s president, who called such shows “derisive, divisive and demoralising misogyny”, drawing backlash from students and free speech advocates, write Andi Babineau and Christina Maxouris for CNN.

In an email to the school community, university President Walter V Wendler said drag shows “discriminate against womanhood”, compared them to blackface and said there was “no such thing” as a harmless drag show.

As transgender issues and drag culture have increasingly become more mainstream, a slew of bills – mostly in Republican-led states – have sought to restrict or prohibit drag show performances. LGBTQ advocates have told CNN those bills add a heightened state of alarm for the community, are discriminatory and could violate First Amendment laws.
Full report on the CNN site