Loogootee pride festival block ruled unconstitutional

LOOGOOTEE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A United States District Court has ruled that the City of Loogootee’s decision to block a pride festival at the town’s Public Square was unconstitutional, according to court documents.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of PrideFest sponsors against the City of Loogootee in the Summer of 2024.

The ACLU claims in the lawsuit that

the Loogootee City Council enacted a new ordinance that rescinded prior approval for the festival in 2024. The ACLU claims that this change altered the application process for using city property, and the City Council failed to vote on approving PrideFest’s new application.

The ACLU of Indiana announced on Aug. 27, 2024, that its lawsuit was successful and that the PrideFest in Loogootee was back on. However, the lawsuit continued in court.

This week, the United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Evansville District, ruled that enforcing the ordinance that rescinded prior approval for the festival was unconstitutional, according to court documents.

The court also ordered that the City of Loogootee shall allow the PrideFest to take place this September in 2025.

“Defendant shall allow PrideFest to take place on September 6, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in and around the Public Square in downtown Loogootee (framed by U.S. 231, Public Square Street, N. Line Street, and E. Main Street). The following roads shall be closed for the duration of the event, as requested by Patoka Valley: Public Square Street to N. Line Street, N. Line Street (from U.S. 231 to Wood Street), and E. Main Street (from U.S. 231 to N.E. 1st Street),” according to court documents.