Alabama Bigots Want to Ban LGBTQ Group from Christmas Parade
metroweekly.comAlabama Political Reporter that the city will “ensure all persons are served and respected equally while maintaining a safe Christmas parade event for us all.”“I am committed to fostering a thriving, safe, and vibrant family-friendly community for all of Prattville’s residents,” Gillespie said. “I hope everyone will enjoy the season that we are celebrating and will remember the reason for the season.”Clean Up Alabama has insisted that Gillespie must prevent Prattville Pride from displaying “transgender flags” — it’s unclear whether that includes the traditional rainbow-colored LGBTQ flags — and from having drag performers participate.“[The display of trans Pride flags and drag queens] would be in violation of parade rules which state that ‘political views are not allowed as decoration, in music, or otherwise by any parade participant,’ AND it also states that lewd or offensive entries will not be approved by parade officials,” the anti-LGBTQ group wrote in its email.Prattville Pride told the Alabama Political Reporter that it is “thrilled and proud to be participating in this year’s beloved Christmas parade.”“As the first organization to sign up, we were eager to join in the holiday magic and celebrate alongside our neighbors,” the group’s statement reads. “In response to recent pushback, we want to emphasize that our participation is rooted in the same spirit of joy and togetherness as any other group.“As a pride organization dedicated to fostering inclusivity and support for marginalized communities, our goal is simply to build connection, spread love, and contribute to the festive spirit of the season.
We look forward to celebrating the holidays with everyone in Prattville.”If the city were to remove Prattville Pride from the parade, it would likely trigger a lawsuit.First Amendment case law generally supports the idea that the government cannot prevent protests or parades from taking place based on the content of a group’s free speech, although they can set.
