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Prattville Pride was able to march in the city's Christmas parade despite being banned the day prior after swift action from a federal judge.
It was only 24 hours before the city of Prattville, Alabama was set to host its Christmas parade that a local LGBTQ+ group was notified it would not be allowed to march.
Prattville Pride, located in the city of about 40,000, had requested extra security measures for its float out of an abundance of caution after receiving harassment online. Instead of granting their request, Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. announced Thursday morning that the group was banned from the parade altogether, citing “serious safety concerns."
With just one day before the parade on Friday, Prattville Pride's lawyer Julia Phillips prepared a federal discrimination lawsuit against the town, serving Gillespie at the town's tree lighting ceremony that night. The next morning, U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker Jr. ruled that the city had violated the group's First Amendment right to free speech, as well as its 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law.
“The City removed Prattville Pride from the parade based on its belief that certain members of the public who oppose Prattville Pride, and what is stands for, would react in a disruptive way. But discrimination based on a message’s content ‘cannot be tolerated under the First Amendment,’” Huffaker wrote in his opinion, via The Associated Press.
The judge determined that while some community members “voiced vehement opposition” to the group’s participation, “the City has presented no evidence of legitimate, true threats of physical violence.” He ordered that at least two police officers escort the float during the parade.
Notified of their victory just hours before the parade was set to take place, Prattville Pride finished their float and proudly marched through the town Friday night. The group said in a statement that the ruling "is a powerful affirmation of the importance of visibility, representation, and inclusion for all members of our community."
"While we celebrate this important step forward, we must also acknowledge the challenges and hateful rhetoric that have been directed towards our organization and the LGBTQ+ community during this process," it wrote. "Such negativity can have a profound and damaging effect on LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly youth, who often face heightened risks of isolation, mental health struggles, and rejection.
"This is why Prattville Pride exists — to ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals feel safe, seen, and supported," the group continued. "Our participation in the Christmas parade is more than just a celebration; it is a statement of belonging and a reminder that love and acceptance are integral to the fabric of our community."
