A small town tried to shut down a Pride festival. The ACLU fought back and won.

The town of Loogootee, Indiana (population 2,592) just announced that it will hold its annual Pride festival in September despite earlier attempts by town officials to forbid the festival from happening.

The ACLU of Indiana announced its lawsuit against the town, after municipal officials rescinded approval for the town’s Pride festival and gave organizers no opportunity to get re-approved, allegedly violating the festival organizers’ First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly. Both parties in the lawsuit agreed to cancel an injunction hearing so PrideFest can occur.

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A small town tried to shut down a Pride festival. The ACLU fought back and won.

However, the legal battle is still ongoing, with organizers alleging mistreatment by the city

The Loogootee City Council recently voted to approve PrideFest for September 7,  and the event will take place in the Public Square as organizers previously wanted. Local streets will be closed to vehicles so attendees can freely walk the festival grounds.

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“PrideFest is about equality and acceptance, and we are thrilled that we will once again be able to host this important celebration of diversity and inclusion in the heart of our community – just as we successfully did in 2023. We welcome everyone to come and celebrate Pride with us,” said organizers Timothy and Tracy Brown-Salsma of Patoka Valley AIDS Community Action in a statement.

The complaint against the town noted the allegedly unfair treatment PrideFest organizers faced. After initially receiving town approval on November 3, 2023 to hold the festival this coming September 7, local officials suddenly rescinded the offer, ostensibly because of a June 10 ordinance that further tightened restrictions on PrideFest.

The event was first organized last year as “Loogootee Pride,” and the event experienced no major incidents that year which would’ve justified town officials’ disproportionate focus or restrictions. Other events, including religious ones from churches, were allowed to occur without meeting the city’s enhanced restrictions.

Organizers went to multiple city council meetings where the PrideFest festivities were on the agenda to be voted on. However, each time, the council members glossed over the PrideFest discussions without explaining why.

“Pride events are an important way for communities across the state to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and we are pleased that the City Council has allowed PrideFest to move forward,” Ken Falk, the legal director of the ACLU of Indiana, said in a statement.

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