Officials can’t interfere with local Tennessee Pride festival under anti-drag law, judge rules

By JONATHAN MATTISE
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled law enforcement officials can’t use a Tennessee law that strictly limits drag shows to interfere with a local Pride festival this weekend. A U.S. district judge in Knoxville ordered District Attorney Ryan Desmond and other local law enforcement officials not to enforce the state law or to interfere with the Blount County Pride festival scheduled for Saturday. Event organizers sued after Desmond warned them he intends to enforce the new statute. Earlier this year, a federal judge across the state in Memphis ruled Tennessee’s so-called anti-drag show law was unconstitutional.