Utah city ordered to pay $350k to drag performers after losing First Amendment fight
Southern Utah Drag Stars (Facebook/Sudragstars)
On Friday (24 April), a federal judge ordered the city of St. George, Utah, to pay $350,000 in legal fees to the Southern Utah Drag Stars after previously ruling in favour of the group in a years-long First Amendment battle.
The performers, alongside their CEO, Mitski Avalox, originally sued the city in 2023 after being denied a permit to host an all-ages drag show in a city-owned public park.
They argued that St. George’s denial violated their rights to free speech and equal protection.
Backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, the group said the denial was part of a broader pattern of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.
“This is the latest offense in a larger pattern of attacks discriminating against gender-diverse and LGBTQ+ people and their rights in Utah and throughout the country,” said ACLU attorney Emerson Sykes, via AP.
While the city claimed it was simply enforcing event regulations, the court ultimately sided with the performers, and a 2025 settlement included both compensation and a public apology.
The latest ruling confirms that the city must also cover the substantial legal costs associated with the case.
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