By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Decatur’s second Pride Festival has sparked another large turnout at a city council meeting, but this time the opposition expressed wasn’t nearly as large as before and, in fact, was outnumbered by the festival’s supporters.
This year’s festival is coming up in less than two weeks, on Saturday, June 29. So Tuesday night’s council meeting was the last one scheduled before that date.
The Pride Festival had been approved by council several weeks ago.
People filled the council chambers in City Hall, with those wishing to speak given two minutes to make their point.
In all, 14 people spoke, with eight in support of the festival and the LGBTQIA community and only six opposed.
Of the six, all spoke of children and how, they contended, the festival’s drag show would harm them. Monica Miller cited statistics from psychologists showing the damage she said could be done.
Terry Worth said, “My faith encourages me to protect our children,” adding that the festival “should be moved inside.”
A wife and husband, Holly and Craig Heyerly, expressed their displeasure with the event, citing children as their main concern.
Last year, prior to the festival, a total of 28 people expressed thoughts in a meeting before council – 16 in opposition, 10 supportive, and 2 who gave no recognizable opinion.
Among those speaking in support of the festival Tuesday night were Nikki Ausland, president of Decatur Pride, and Kristine Brite, vice president.
Ausland said she was on hand for two things, one “to be visible for my community, the LGBTQIA community of Adams County.”
She also said she attended in order to answer any questions from officials about the organization, the festival, and the drag show. Brite had a similar theme: talk to the Pride folks in order to gain accurate information.
One of the supportive speakers, Marcy Andrew, said her spouse was one of the people who would dress in drag for the festival.
Chris Hakes posed the question: “Why are you so afraid of this? It’s not illegal to be gay.”
DONE DEAL: Veteran Councilman Matt Dyer presided over the meeting, acting as mayor pro tem in the place of Mayor Dan Rickord, whose vacation had been planned long before Tuesday’s meeting.
City Attorney Anne Razo explained the procedure for groups wishing to rent the plaza.
As long as an organization meets the criteria and follows the rules, it cannot legally be denied.
“We respect anyone’s right to use that public space,” she said.
Dyer asked that it be entered into the record that granting an organization approval to use the plaza does not mean the city approves, supports or funds an event.
If they want a law changed, people should speak to the legislature, he added.
NO MO: Former Decatur pastor Mo Hodge, who again this year railed against the Pride Festival on social media, did not attend the council meeting.
Hodge is a resident of Anderson, Indiana.
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