*This is being reported by the North Texas Daily.

UNT System Chancellor Michael Williams sent a directive on March 28 to the presidents of each university campus, informing them of a pause on any drag performances on campus or any state-funded facilities, effective immediately. 

The directive states that the pause is supported by the Board of Regents to comply with state and federal laws and executive orders.

“As a public university it is our responsibility to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and executive orders while balancing our duty to carry out our core missions of teaching, learning and research,” Williams said in the directive. 

The directive says the university will “wait on a definitive ruling on litigation against other Texas universities” before providing “necessary guidance.”

Nicole King, the Student Government Association’s director of advocacy, said Elizabeth With, senior vice president for Student Affair had reached out to the GLAD Queer Alliance  – a student organization aimed at representing the needs and concerns of the queer community – and the Sigma Lambda Gammas – a sorority focused on empowerment for women of all cultural backgrounds –  to “inform them about this new decision.”

The two student organizations at the university had previously planned drag shows for April.

The GLAD Queer Alliance was planning to hold the GLAD Queer Alliance UNT Drag Show 2025 on April 10 in the Emerald Ballroom in the University Union. 

UNT Gammas Drag Night with the Gammas was slated to be held on April 11 in the Lyceum Theatre in the University Union. 

The Daily could not confirm whether the two events will be moved off-campus at the time of writing. 

Other Texas universities have enforced drag bans in the previous months in what they say is a response to President Donald Trump’s January 20 Executive Order “defending women from gender ideology extremism” and Gov. Greg Abbott’s letter stating that Texas “recognizes only two sexes,” though neither reference drag specifically. 

The Texas A&M Board of Regents voted to ban drag shows on its campus on Feb. 28, according to an article from The Battalion. Following the ban, the Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council retained legal counsel from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and filed a lawsuit against the Board of Regents on March 24. 

The court granted a preliminary injunction – which preserves the status quo until a final judgment can be made  – that barred the board from enforcing its ban, allowing the QEC to hold its annual “Draggieland” on campus on March 27. 

The University of Texas System Board of Regents announced on March 18 that UT will no longer be permitted to fund or host drag shows on campus, according to an article from The Daily Texan. 

“All activities at UT institutions are expected to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws and executive orders, including any restrictions on the use of public funds,” Board Chairman Kevin Eltife said in a statement. “Our public university facilities, supported by taxpayers, will not serve as venues for drag shows.”

The ban followed a letter Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare sent to UT Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife urging him to ban drag shows on UT System campuses. In the letter, O’Hare cites President Trump’s Executive Order and Gov. Greg Abbott’s letter urging compliance as reasons for his request. 

“Rather than promoting anything to do with education, drag shows and related events denigrate women,” O’Hare said in the letter. “Drag shows highlight men reducing the perception of women to stereotypes and body parts. I would be encouraged to see the UT System focus on fostering environments of learning and not use resources to prop up sexually-oriented events.”

The most recent pause on drag performances mirrors last year’s cancellation of the University Program Council’s Drag Show because of governmental scrutiny. 

Last May, the UPC Drag Show and University Libraries’ Campus Pride Week were canceled by the UNT System’s Office of General Counsel due to Senate Bill 17. 

SB 17, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023, prohibits Texas public institutions of higher education from undertaking diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and from requiring employees to participate in DEI training or make DEI statements. 

GLAD, being a student organization and therefore exempt from SB17, took over the show’s planning and hosted the event in the University Union. 

The university’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America posted about the recently announced pause on drag on its Instagram page after being made aware of the directive by King.

“THIS IS BLATANT FACISM,” YDSA said in a post on Instagram.“UNT CONTINUES TO PRIORITIZE GOVERNMENT FUNDING OVER THE RIGHTS OF THEIR STUDENTS.”

YDSA said in a direct message to the Daily that they “absolutely condemn” the university’s decision. 

“The UNT administration’s capitulation to the Abbott and Trump administrations show they do not care about the wellbeing of their students, and the principles of their university,” YDSA said.“Drag will always exist, no matter what legislator or administrator has to say about it.”

The Daily reached out to the university communications team but did not receive a response in time for publication.