Tennessee’s attorney general says he plans to appeal a federal judge’s ruling that threw out the state’s anti-drag law.
The Adult Entertainment Act, or AEA, was ruled unconstitutional late Friday night, but there’s still confusion about the law’s current status.
Technically, the judge only blocked the law from being enforced in Memphis and Shelby County. That’s because Gov. Bill Lee and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti were removed as defendants in the lawsuit, leaving only the Shelby County district attorney as the sole defendant. In a statement, Skrmetti said that means the AEA “remains in effect” for the rest of the state.
The judge also declared the law unconstitutional. That gives the rest of the state declaratory relief, according to plaintiffs’ attorney Melissa Stewart. She says the state’s appeal to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court could result in a clearer rejection of the law and a determination that drag is legal in Tennessee statewide.