A federal appeals court has cleared the way for Florida to enforce a law backed by Governor Ron DeSantis that restricts children from attending certain sexually explicit live performances, including some drag shows the state considers obscene for minors. The ruling is significant because it removes a legal obstacle that had prevented the state from applying the measure, strengthening DeSantis's efforts to regulate content deemed inappropriate for young audiences and setting a precedent that could influence similar disputes elsewhere in the United States.

The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled on Tuesday by a narrow 8-5 margin against Orlando restaurant Hamburger Mary's, finding it had not demonstrated a likelihood of success in its First and Fourteenth Amendment challenge to the Florida law. The split decision underlines ongoing legal disagreement over how far states can go in restricting drag performances and similar content when children may be present, with the case likely to remain a focal point in the broader national debate over free expression versus child protection laws.