St. George, Utah facing lawsuit after denying permission for drag show in public park: ‘free speech violations’
The city of St. George, Utah is being sued after denying a permit to a group that organizes drag shows.
Utah-based group Southern Utah Drag Stars claims the city violated its constitutional rights by denying them permits for an all-ages show it intended to hold in a public park in April.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday, the group’s CEO, Mitski Avalōx, accused the city of “gross and continuing violations of their freedom of speech, due process and equal protection rights.” .
The Southern Utah Drag Stars are seeking damages and asking St. George to reverse its decision to allow a drag show in late June.
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The Southern Utah Drag Stars drag group is suing St. George, Utah. (George Frey/Getty Images)
The ACLU is representing the group in the lawsuit.
“This is the latest offense in a larger pattern of discriminatory attacks against people of diverse gender and LGBTQ+ identities and their rights in Utah and across the country,” Emerson said. Sykes, attorney for the ACLU.
In the lawsuit, Avalōx argues that St. George invoked a rare municipal ordinance to deny the permit.
The CEO said Drag Stars wanted to put on a show in a public park and started advertising before they got a permit because the city’s events coordinator allegedly told them they were allowed to do so.
The city council ultimately denied the group’s permit because it claimed an ordinance prohibited advertising until a permit was approved.
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“The city used its absolute discretion under the ordinances to enforce them in a discriminatory manner,” they said.
In the complaint, attorneys for Avalōx and the ACLU also argue that St. George’s decision to deny the permit is part of a larger attack on drag performers.
The cast of HBO’s unscripted series “We’re Here” pose together at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California on October 8, 2021. HBO is not part of the lawsuit. (CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
St. George gained popularity after HBO filmed a drag show for an episode of “We’re Here” in a public park in June 2022. City officials issued permits for the event despite objection of certain members of the board and
Avalōx founded Southern Utah Drag Stars amid the city’s fallout over the decision.
The group’s CEO said he wanted to introduce the dredge to a rural area like St. George, Utah. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The group’s CEO said he wanted to introduce cruising to a rural location, where such entertainment is often lacking.
“I made it my mission to continue doing these events and not just one month a year, but to do it, people who were like me when I was little…can see that there are gay adults who live a long and full life,” Avalōx told The Associated Press. “My biggest ambition was to provide a public space where people can go to a park and enjoy a show for everyone.”
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Drag shows often involve performers dressing and acting exaggeratedly like another genre for entertainment. Critics say the content is sexually deviant and could influence children or expose them to sexualized or suggestive content.
Drag queen/producers at the Los Angeles premiere of Season 2 of HBO’s unscripted series ‘We’re Here’ at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California on October 8, 2021. The HBO series filmed one episode at drag in a public park but is not part of the trial. (CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Just this week, two states took action to prevent entertainment from slipping.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law banning minors from attending drag shows and Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a ban on people in drag reading books to children in drag shows. public schools and libraries.
St. George, Utah is located approximately 111 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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