How plans for a West Texas drag show turned into a war over the First Amendment
In the staunchly conservative Panhandle, LGBTQ+ Texans say political and legal battles overlook their humanity. Full Story
![From left, Marcus Stovall and Bear Bright stand of the sidewalk across the street from the courthouse Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 in Canyon, Tx.](https://thumbnails.texastribune.org/R-rPYX2_8G9JR9YnkkbX_7e_SSw=/850x570/smart/filters:quality(75)/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/74b9e6c5dbd2dc3601b72ac41b71be65/WTAMU%20Canyon%20Palo%20Duro%20MR%2010.jpg)
William Melhado is an Austin-based general assignment reporter. He originally joined the Tribune in 2022 as a Poynter-Koch fellow. He previously worked as a staff writer at the Santa Fe Reporter, an alt-weekly newspaper in New Mexico. Before pursuing a career in journalism, William worked as an educator for five years and taught science at a public high school in the Bronx, New York and taught at international schools in Tanzania and Nepal. A native of Boulder, Colorado, William graduated from Middlebury College with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and earned a master’s in secondary science education at CUNY Lehman College.
In the staunchly conservative Panhandle, LGBTQ+ Texans say political and legal battles overlook their humanity. Full Story
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The decision means university President Walter Wendler could cancel an on-campus drag show next week. He canceled a previous show last year. Full Story
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