The Southlake City Council in Texas has rejected a permit for an LGBT pride festival planned at a local Episcopal church.
Council members voted Tuesday to deny a specific use permit for the Oct. 3 Pride Kel-So festival at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church.
The Southlake Planning and Zoning Commission had previously recommended approval of the request, but the City Council unanimously rejected it after hearing comments from several residents.
The event, officially titled “Pride Kel-So 2026: No One Left Behind,” was scheduled to feature Sharon Herrera of “LGBTQ SAVES,” which describes its mission as “fostering safe and brave spaces” for LGBT-identified youth as young as 12.
Organizer and permit applicant April Dreyson attended the meeting, where residents spoke both in support of and against the proposed gathering.
The Rev. Ellen Singer, an associate pastor at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, said the congregation was “excited” to host the festival as part of its commitment to “love our neighbors.”
“Our mission directly from Jesus is to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves, and our motto is to welcome everyone,” said Singer. “All are welcome. No exceptions. And that means that we open our campus to all sorts of different events.”
Singer called the 2025 Pride Kel-So festival “a great success” and said she expected this year’s event to be similar.
Southlake resident Paul Segal opposed the permit, arguing that last year’s festival had created tension in the community and that the event was increasingly resembling a protest. “It could create a dangerous situation,” he said. “There were people who were very inflamed by the whole thing.”
Segal also criticized the presence of drag performers at the previous festival.
“I don't believe that's really representative of the value of our community and seeing these drag queens out there like last year, it was abhorrent,” Segal said. “So I am definitely against having this.”
