Elmira’s Pride Festival, scheduled for this weekend in Wisner Park, will proceed as planned after a judge rejected a last minute lawsuit filed by local artist and activist Julian Raven.
The festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 6 at Wisner Park, and is sponsored by Park Church.
A feature of the festival is a drag show, and Raven claims that violates the city’s own zoning laws that restrict sexually-oriented businesses and adult-use activities in public parks and other locations.
Raven filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Chemung County, seeking emergency judicial review of the city’s permitting and code review process for the Pride Festival.
Supreme Court Justice Christopher Baker held a hearing Tuesday, June 2 to hear arguments from both sides, before ultimately ruling in favor of the city.
Despite his disappointment with the decision, Raven said it was still a victory of sorts because it got important issues in front of the public.
“The city had to answer questions it never wanted asked,” Raven said. “The permit process was examined. The public heard the arguments. Reporters attended. The issue was placed squarely before the community.”
This is the fourth year Elmira has hosted the Pride Festival and Mayor Dan Mandell pointed out there have never been any complaints in the past.
Baker’s ruling was the correct one and the festival will go ahead as planned, Mandell said.
“We knew what we did was right. The lawsuit didn’t have any merit,” he said. “We followed all of our codes as we have in the past. We can’t discriminate on issuing a permit.”
Raven, who said he plans to run for mayor of Elmira this year, emphasized he never sought to prohibit the Pride Festival itself, just any adult-oriented activities that weren’t appropriate for children and public parks.
“The people of Elmira are discussing these issues,” he said. “That discussion is healthy. That discussion is necessary.
“As mayor of the City of Elmira, I will fight to keep the government out of the bedroom and the bedroom out of the park,” Raven added.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Elmira Pride Festival will go ahead as planned after lawsuit rejected
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
