MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In a 70-page document, a U.S. district judge declared Tennessee's anti-drag law as "unconstitutional" — a decision marked as a victory for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
How will this affect similar laws in other states? Here's how it breaks down:
If a law enforcement officer agency tries to enforce the law, it's going to be considered a constitutional violation. Effects could be potentially seen in the coming days.
Brice Timmons is the civil rights attorney representing Friends of George's, the Memphis nonprofit that stages "drag-centric performances" and that directly challenged Tennessee’s law. He's going to take on Ron DeSantis in Florida.
Starting on Tuesday, Simmonds will join the debate against a Florida law that would take away liquor licenses from a business if they have what is considered "lewd conduct" in them.
Still, without a clearer definition behind "lewd conduct," many worry that this is aimed at drag performances — depending on who enforces it.
Timmons said that he will be filing the 70-page document from U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker ruling on Tennessee to help in that future lawsuit.
"Tennessee was the first state to pass one of these unconstitutional laws," Timmons said. "Of course it's the battleground for the first fight against them — a fight that we've won, and I think that ruling will be persuasive to other federal judges across the country."
Timmons says his firm has been also been contacted about similar cases in Montana and Texas, but that back here in Tennessee this will likely continue to be a battle between the left and the right.
State senator Jack Johnson who sponsored the anti-drag bill in Tennessee has already asked the state attorney general to appeal Friday's decision.