Blount Pride, Inc. (“Blount Pride”) planned a Pride event that would feature drag performances, including a performance by drag queen Flamy Grant. The event was to occur on September 2, 2023 at Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee. On August, 29, 2023, four days before the event, District Attorney for Tennessee’s Fifth Judicial District, Ryan Desmond, issued a letter to Blount Pride saying that he would enforce the anti-drag law that had been passed in 2022.
In an effort to protect the free speech rights of drag performers, ACLU-TN and attorneys Brice Timmons, Melissa Stewart, Daniel Horwitz, Melissa Dix, and Justin Gilbert filed a complaint and emergency motion for a temporary restraining order on August 30, 2023 on behalf of Blount Pride and Christian artist and drag performer Flamy Grant.
Judge Greer granted the temporary restraining order and the Pride event proceeded as planned. Defendants then agreed to a preliminary injunction while a previously filed challenge to the anti-drag law, Friends of George’s v. Mulroy, continued on appeal in the Sixth Circuit.
Blount Pride and Flamy Grant sought to intervene as plaintiffs in the Friends of George’s v. Mulroy appeal, and their motion to intervene was granted. Oral arguments in the appeal were heard on February 1, 2024.
PLAINTIFF(S):
Blount County Pride, Inc.; Michael Lovegood a/k/a Flamy Grant
DEFENDANT(S):
Blount County District Attorney Ryan Desmond, Blount County Sheriff James Berrong, Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp, Alcoa Police Chief David Carswell, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmmeti
ATTORNEY(S):
ACLU- TN: Stella Yarbrough, Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, Jeff Preptit
Donati Law: Brice Timmons, Melissa Stewart, Craig Edgington
Horwitz Law: Daniel Horwitz, Lindsay Smith, Melissa Dix
Gilbert Law: Justin Gilbert
