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Florida renews push to enforce 'Drag Show Law'
Florida is renewing efforts to enforce a 2023 law aimed at restricting children from attending drag shows, even as the measure continues to face legal challenges in federal court.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida is renewing efforts to enforce a 2023 law aimed at restricting children from attending drag shows, even as the measure continues to face legal challenges in federal court.
What we know:
Florida is seeking to enforce a law that restricts minors from attending "adult live performances," including drag shows, despite a statewide injunction currently in place.
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The state has filed a motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals requesting permission to enforce the law everywhere in Florida—except at Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando, the lone business to successfully challenge the statute.
The backstory:
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed as part of a broader push by Florida’s Republican leadership to regulate access to content deemed inappropriate for children. The law prohibits minors from attending performances that involve nudity, sexual conduct, or lewd behavior—language critics say is intentionally vague and could unfairly target drag performances and LGBTQ+ spaces.
After Hamburger Mary’s sued and won a preliminary injunction, a federal judge blocked the law’s enforcement statewide.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear how the Court of Appeals will respond to Florida’s motion, or whether it will agree to narrow the injunction. Also uncertain is whether other businesses will mount their own legal challenges if enforcement resumes.
What they're saying:
Gov. DeSantis has defended the law, stating, "We are going to remain a refuge of sanity and a citadel of normalcy." He added that children shouldn’t be exposed to inappropriate content.
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John Paonessa, owner of Hamburger Mary’s, called the law dangerously vague: "The bill was so vague that the interpretation is broad. Anyone can pull something out and say it’s inappropriate or lewd when it really isn’t."
What's next:
If the appellate court agrees, businesses that host drag shows could once again face enforcement actions. That includes the potential revocation of liquor licenses—a move that some say could force venues to shut down entirely.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Office of the Governor of Florida, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Florida Statues, and John Paonessa, owner of Hamburger Mary’s