Appeals Court Sides With Florida Restaurant Challenging State Law Prohibiting Children at Drag Shows

The 2023 law makes it a misdemeanor for Florida businesses to knowingly admit a child to sexually explicit performances.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference in Tallahassee, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2023. Ron DeSantis/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

A federal appeals panel has sided with a Florida restaurant in its challenge to a state law aimed at shielding children from viewing sexually explicit performances.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2–1 in favor of Hamburger Mary’s, an Orlando restaurant chain known for hosting drag shows. The decision upheld a preliminary injunction that blocks Florida from enforcing the 2023 Protection of Children Act, pending further litigation.