Southlake City Council Denies Permit for Pride Event at Local Church
Organizers are exploring other venues after the council denied the permit without explanation, following a 2025 event that drew protests and fewer than 1,000 attendees.
- On Tuesday, Southlake City Council voted 7-0 to deny a permit for Pride So-Kel, a community Pride festival scheduled for October 3 on the 10-acre property of St. Martin-in-the-Field, an Episcopal church.
- The inaugural Pride Kel-So festival in 2025 drew 2,500 attendees from Southlake and Keller; last year's event did not require a permit because attendance fell below Southlake's 1,000-person legal threshold.
- Co-Founder April Dreyson stated, "We followed all the recommendations and did not expect, especially with no comments, no questions," while council members declined to discuss the proposal before voting.
- Reverend Ellen Singer, an associate pastor at the church, told FOX 4 the festival aims to "bring people together," though Southlake Mayor Shawn McCaskill and council members offered no public explanation for the denial.
- Dreyson said, "We're going to figure it out," and is exploring options including downsizing to avoid permit requirements, as Southlake's school board recently approved policies banning trans-inclusive pronouns and restroom use.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Southlake Council Denies Pride Festival Permit Without Explanation
Southlake City Council unanimously denied a permit for this year’s Pride Kel-So festival after approving the event in 2025, leaving organisers seeking an explanation. The post Texas suburb denies permit for Pride festival despite approving it last year appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.
The Independent
The Independent (US)Wealthy Texas suburb denies permit for church to hold a Pride event
The Southlake City Council approved the permit for the Pride event last year
Pride Kelso denied permit
Pride Kelso — that short for Keller and Southlake — was denied a permit at the Sept. 15 Southlake City council meeting to hold its second Pride event. Last year the event was held at St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church in Southlake. About 2,500 people attended. The permit was denied by a 7-0 […]
The Dallas Express News
wbap.comSouthlake City Council Unanimously Denies Pride Kel-So Permit For October 3
The Southlake City Council on Tuesday unanimously denied a specific use permit for the Pride Kel-So festival planned for October 3 at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church. Council members did not discuss the item or question city staff or organizers before the vote. Council members voted to deny ZA26-0037, Resolution No. 26-028, a specific use permit […]
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