Federal Judge Strikes Down Loogootee Ordinance, Orders City to Permit PrideFest on Public Square

Staff report

LOOGOOTEE, Ind. — August 29, 2025

The Loogootee PrideFest will return to the city’s Public Square this year after a federal judge struck down a city ordinance restricting special events, ruling it violated the First Amendment.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana granted a permanent injunction Thursday, barring the city from enforcing Ordinance No. 2025-1 and ordering officials to allow PrideFest to proceed on Sept. 6. The court also approved street closures requested by organizers to accommodate the festival.

The Patoka Valley AIDS Community Action Group, which organizes the event, filed suit last year with the help of the ACLU of Indiana after Loogootee refused to permit PrideFest on the square in 2025. The city allowed the 2024 festival to take place downtown but later amended its ordinance governing the use of city property.

Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana, said the ruling affirms equal treatment.
“Other public events are held in the Loogootee Public Square, and there is no reason that PrideFest should be any different,” Falk said. “We’re pleased that the court once again allowed this important celebration of the LGBTQ+ community to go forward there.”

Festival organizer Tracy Brown-Salsman, vice president of Patoka Valley AIDS Community Action Group, said the decision ensures visibility for LGBTQ+ residents in the small southern Indiana city.
“It is so important for our local LGBTQA+ community to be celebrated and seen,” Brown-Salsman said. “Having our 3rd Annual Loogootee PrideFest downtown on the public square is so important because that visibility matters. Visibility literally saves lives!”

The 3rd Annual PrideFest will take place Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Diversity Fountain on the Public Square, with surrounding streets closed to traffic.

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