Organizers of the Smyrna Pride Festival have reversed course, announcing they will allow Georgia Log Cabin Republicans as a vendor, four days after the Georgia GOP threatened legal action.
In a statement on Friday, Smyrna Pride said it initially intended to remain apolitical in 2025 and not accept politically-affiliated vendors and sponsors at the June event “to create a safe, inclusive and joyous celebration for the LGBTQ+ community.”
Smyrna Pride says it is under no legal obligation to accept Georgia Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative LGBTQ+ group, but that it now has decided to allow a limited number of politically-affiliated groups into the festival.
“This decision was made to protect community relationships, sponsors, and the spirit of unity that Pride represents,” the group said in a news release.
“We are making this decision in good faith to de-escalate unnecessary division and reaffirm that Pride is about unity, not political warfare,” the group’s Board of Directors said in the news release. “While we stand firm in our constitutional right to curate the festival’s vendors, this decision is a deliberate step to refocus attention on our mission: celebrating and uplifting LGBTQ+ lives.”
On Monday, Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon posted a demand letter to social media that accused Smyrna officials of playing favorites by rejecting the conservative LGBTQ+ group and allowing “Democratic candidates running for office and left-leaning advocacy groups.”
“There is no conceivable government interest that serves the public for Smyrna Pride to exclude advocacy groups that align with the Republican Party and conservative ideals but include similar groups that advocate for Democratic beliefs,” the letter reads.
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
In a response letter dated Friday, Smyrna Pride said that the group had not solicited or accepted any politically-affiliated candidates or organizations to be vendors at the festival and simply had decided to be apolitical.
In its letter, Smyrna Pride set conditions on inclusion of the Log Cabin Republicans in the festival, including that they stop “disseminating, repeating or perpetuating the false claims that Smyrna Pride selectively admitted Democratic groups.”
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