The lawsuit filed in Orlando Federal Court by Malik Orlando Hamburger Marie The state is allegedly denying the company First Amendment rights to free speech. The restaurant is asking the court to temporarily halt the law in effect while the case proceeds.
DeSantis made Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation A big part of his agenda as he prepares for the Republican presidential run. signed on Bill restricts drag performance — along with bills banning gender confirmation sponsorship for minors, restricting discussion of personal pronouns in schools and forcing people to use certain bathrooms — last Wednesday in front of a cheering crowd at Cambridge Christian Evangelical School in Tampa.
Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grille has more than a dozen locations around the United States, with the Orlando restaurant opening in 2008. According to the lawsuit, the restaurant hosted “family-friendly” drag shows on Sundays, but a new Florida law forces them to bar children from all shows. . This resulted in a 20% drop in Sunday bookings.
Supporters of the legislation said the law was intended to prevent children from watching sexually explicit shows. The company’s lawyers argue that the new law is so broad and vague that it could be applied to almost any performance involving a man disguised as a woman, even if the performance is not sexual in nature. The suit said business owners could not risk having their business or liquor licenses suspended or risk facing criminal prosecution by allowing children to attend the shows.
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the lawsuit.
