Southlake City Council has denied a local Pride festival the permit it needs to hold its event, a reversal from last year when the same council allowed the celebration to move forward.
The decision marks a sharp turnaround from 2025, when city leaders permitted the inaugural Pride Kel-So festival to take place, according to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth. The station reported that the festival requires a city permit to operate, and that permit has now been denied for the upcoming event.
The change is notable given how last year's debut played out. The first Keller-Southlake Pride event drew an estimated 700 people by about 4 p.m. on the day of the festival, according to Yahoo News. The gathering was held on the grounds of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, a site straddling the border between Southlake and Keller that had offered to host the event, per the same account.
What Last Year's Festival Looked Like
The 2025 event featured a drag show as part of its programming, though a planned performance by transgender musical artist Madame Lexical was canceled, the outlet noted. The Oak Lawn Band and The Bikini Whales also played for the crowd that day, the report said.
Not everyone welcomed the festival. Around a dozen people gathered along the sidewalk in front of the church grounds, some carrying signs opposing the event and others praying, per the same account. Texas Coalition for Kids executive director Kelly Neidert said she came to protest because the festival was open to all ages despite including a drag show, the outlet reported.
A Contested Legal Backdrop
The debate over all-ages drag performances in Texas has played out beyond Southlake. Senate Bill 12, which would prohibit sexually oriented performances in areas where minors might be present, was signed into law in 2023 but has been blocked after a federal court declared it unconstitutional, the article noted. The measure remains pending before the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, per the same report.
What has not been established is why the city council changed course this year. The specifics of the vote, the rationale behind the denial, and the date of the festival that was denied a permit have not been detailed in available reporting. No statements from Southlake city officials, festival organizers, or the permit applicant have been made public.
