Riverside Pride, a local LGBTQ+ advocacy group, says “we are not going anywhere” after Comal County Fair’s executive board today bowed to community pressure and canceled Saturday’s NBTX Riverside Pride Festival at the fairgrounds.
The LGBTQ+ organization said it’s seeking a new venue for the event and “the best and safest way to share this information.” No information was provided about the date.
The festival was to include face painting, music, family-friendly drag performances, a pose competition, belly dancers, vendors, food trucks, a bounce house for kids and a special performance by Flamy Grant, a drag performer whose 2022 debut record, Bible Belt Baby, reached the #1 spot on the iTunes Christian Chart.
“No one deserves the level of hate spewed from a small minority of people in what is otherwise a supportive and amazing city,” Riverside Pride said in a statement today. “We will continue to honor the dignity of all people and look forward to celebrating our beautiful and vibrant community.”
However, the fair’s executive board issued a statement today promising to revise its rental contracts so they align more closely with its assessment of that same community’s values and the fair’s nonpartisan mission.
“We recognize the importance of ensuring that all activities held on our grounds reflect the highest standards of public safety and a positive community experience,” members said. “…We appreciate the constructive feedback and concerns shared by members of our community, as well as the Riverside Pride’s professionalism in their decision. We remain committed to providing a facility where our community can hold events in a safe and respectful manner for all residents of Comal County.”
The board’s decision was preceded by a letter from Rep. Carrie Isaac, who represents Canyon Lake in Texas House District 73.
She warned the board Monday it could be held liable if a performance at the fairground was deemed “sexually oriented” under Senate Bill 12, which went into effect in September.
The legislation prohibits Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, DEI-related activities, and certain discussions of race, gender identity, and sexual orientation in K-12 schools.
“Hosting such an event could expose the board and the fairgrounds to potential civil and criminal liability as well as public criticism,” she said. “It is prudent to reject this event to ensure the fairgrounds remain a safe and lawful venue for all events.”
On the Comal County Fair & Rodeo’s Facebook page, reaction was mixed.
“Where our community can hold events in a safe, and respectful manner for all residents of Comal County,” said one commenter, citing the board’s statement. “Well, obviously not for all residents.”
“Love and respect is one thing, but acceptance is different,” wrote another. “I do not care what other people do in their private lives or with consenting adults. However, when such things are marketed to children, we need to stand up and say no.”
On her Facebook page, New Braunfels resident Joeylynn Mesaros, a former member of the Trump Train who became famous for her participation in a convoy of cars and trucks that tried to force the ‘Biden Bus’ off I-35 in October 2020 and has since leveraged that publicity to become a passionate advocate for far-right conservative Christian values, praised the board’s decision.
“This is what happens when good people refuse to stay silent,” she said. “When we come together, speak truth and protect our kids, the line gets pushed back in the right direction.”
The festival also was condemned as an attack on family values by a more surprising source — the New Braunfels Young Republicans (NBYR).
In July, they spatted publicly with former Comal County Republican Chair Mark Montgomery, saying he was ghosting them because Treasurer D.J. Seeger, a Canyon Lake resident, is openly gay, hashtag “letusin.”
In a since-deleted Facebook post, NBYR publicized a Community Prayer Vigil Friday at the New Braunfels Public Library “for the misguided souls of New Braunfels.”
“The event taking place at the fairgrounds is not only an attack on family values, it’s an attack on Christian homes,” the group said on Facebook.