Texas city cancels 2026 Pride after local council rescinds LGBTQ+ protections

[Jessica_Rose ✅]

Texas city cancels 2026 Pride after local council rescinds LGBTQ+ protections

https://www.advocate.com/politics/arlington-pride-canceled-city-council 🔗

Ryan Adamczeski (15 Dec 2025)

An LGBTQ+ group in Texas has cancelled its 2026 Pride celebration after the city it's based in rescinded antidiscrimination protections.

Arlington Pride, hosted by the HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health, announced on Friday that it is suspending next year's event in light of the city council's recent vote to remove "gender identity and expression" and "sexual orientation" as protected characteristics from the local antidiscrimination ordinance. CEO DeeJay Johannessen said that the decision was made in the name of safety.

"We cannot in good conscience invite attendees to an event in a city that refuses to provide even the most basic protections," Johannessen said in a statement. "Pride is about safety, celebration, and community. Without local anti-discrimination safeguards, we cannot guarantee those values for our attendees, performers, or patrons."

The clause had been temporarily suspended since August due to threats from Donald Trump's administration. Mayor Jim Ross joined councilmembers Nikkie Hunter, Barbara Odom-Wesley, and Andrew Piel in voting in favor of reinstating the ordinance, but the council ultimately voted 5-4 to permanently repeal it.

The rule previously shielded LGBTQ+ people against "any direct or indirect exclusion, distinction, segregation, limitation, refusal, denial, or other differentiation in the treatment of a person or persons" in employment, housing, health care, and beyond.

[KathyLauren]

I understand the motivation for the cancellation, but I disagree.  Pride is not about "safety, celebration, and community".  It is primarily about resistance.  As the memes say, the first Pride was a riot, because it needed to happen.  Those times are back again.  Pride organizers should not be wimping out now.

[Lori Dee ✅]

I understand the motivation for the cancellation, but I disagree.  Pride is not about "safety, celebration, and community".  It is primarily about resistance.  As the memes say, the first Pride was a riot, because it needed to happen.  Those times are back again.  Pride organizers should not be wimping out now.

We are fighting for our right to exist. So it makes sense that part of the battle is being present.

"Decisions are made by those who show up."

Not just in the voting booth, but everywhere there is a battle.