JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hamburger Mary’s in Riverside will pause its family-friendly drag shows starting in January, after a federal appeals court cleared the way for Florida to enforce a law restricting children from attending certain “adult live performances.”
For months, the Jacksonville restaurant and event venue has hosted all-ages drag brunches every Sunday since reopening. One recent show featured owner and creative director Jordyn Shepherd on stage with a child — an image she shared to show what the family events looked like before the change.
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“Starting in January, because of what’s going on, we are going to put a pause on our family-friendly shows,” Shepherd said.
The decision comes after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the state to enforce a 2023 law designed to block minors from seeing adult live performances that depict nudity, sexual conduct or excitement, or the use of prosthetics or imitation genitals or breasts.
Once the ruling came down, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier posted on social media, saying in part: “For two years, our law preventing children from attending sexually explicit drag shows was held up in court. Starting today, the law is in effect thanks to a win on appeal by our office.”
Shepherd believes that framing is misleading.
“It’s a direct attack because what he’s not saying is that is actually not what the law states,” she said. “The law states adult live shows—he’s throwing the word drag in there because he wants to shed a negative light on what we do… Let parents parent their kids.”
The law was passed in 2023, but was quickly blocked when a federal court found it was likely unconstitutional. That challenge was brought by a Hamburger Mary’s location in Central Florida, which argued the law violated its First Amendment rights. That location remains exempt from enforcement.
An appeals court recently agreed to review the law, and the new ruling now allows the state to move forward with enforcing it in most places, including Jacksonville.
Despite the legal pressure, Shepherd says Hamburger Mary’s 2.0 will continue to be a safe space—especially for young people who feel targeted or bullied for being different.
“It’s a little scary, but we’re not scared,” she said.
In the new year, the restaurant plans to adjust its schedule: children will be allowed in the space earlier in the day, between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., but will have to leave before drag performances begin so the business can stay in compliance with the law.