The North Brookfield, Massachusetts select board has rescinded its controversial ban against drag performances at their town’s upcoming Pride celebration after the ACLU of Massachusetts and MassEquality cried afoul.
Reports boston.com:
A Pride celebration that includes a drag performance scheduled for a small Massachusetts town has the proper authority to take place as originally planned, the town’s lawyer wrote in a letter to the American Civil Liberties Union, ending weeks of uncertainty about the event.
The clarification Friday from a lawyer for the town of North Brookfield came two days after the three-member select board rescinded a previous vote to deny a permit for the event organized by the Rural Justice Network because it included a drag show, which two members of the board found objectionable.
The board then held another vote on whether to give the green light to the event, but those two members abstained, meaning the measure failed.
But the town’s lawyer in Friday’s letter said the event — drag show included — could take place on the town common as planned on June 24 because the board’s permission originally given in March remains in place.
“The Rural Justice Network has worked hard to make Small Town Pride 2023 an enjoyable experience for North Brookfield, and are ecstatic to hear that we can continue with our plan to give this community the event they deserve,” the organization said in a statement.
Friday’s letter ended weeks of back-and-forth over the event.
Read the complete boston.com story here.
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