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 required no permit because attendance fell below Southlake's 1,000-person threshold for gatherings needing city approval.
- 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 and one speaker opposed citing 2025 protests.
- Reverend Ellen Singer, an associate pastor at St. Martin-in-the-Field, told FOX 4 the festival aims to 'bring people together,' though Southlake Mayor Shawn McCaskill and council members did not respond to requests for explanation.
- 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.
12 Articles
12 Articles
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 […]
Southlake Rejects Pride Kel-So Festival Permit
By: Paul Goldberg - Senior Correspondent | LGBT Politics USA SOUTHLAKE, TX — (September 16, 2026) — An LGBTQ Pride festival that attracted more than 1,600 people to a Southlake-area Episcopal church last year has encountered a major obstacle after the Southlake City Council rejected a permit for its return. Council members voted Tuesday night [...]
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
