Federal judge temporarily blocks Montana’s ban on ‘drag story hours’ in libraries

A federal judge on Friday paused a Montana law that bans drag performers from hosting children’s story hours at public libraries and bars “sexually oriented shows” on public property that can be seen by minors.

In his opinion issuing the temporary restraining order, Judge Brian Morris said at least some of the speech regulated by the law has First Amendment protections and warned that the measure “likely will disproportionately harm not only drag performers, but any person who falls outside traditional gender and identity norms.”