ESSEX, Iowa (KMTV) — Essex, Iowa, population 700 or so, hosted groups from all across southwest Iowa for the Labor Day parade on Monday.
But one group that thought they would be participating, Shenandoah Pride, was instead left to watch from their lawn chairs.
They say after originally being told "all are welcome," they received an email on Thursday saying they wouldn't be allowed to participate.
The email reads: "Out of concern for the safety of the public and that of Essex Labor Day parade participants, the City of Essex has determined not to allow parade participants geared toward the promotion of, or opposition to, the politically charged topic of gender and/or sexual identification/orientation."
It continued: "This parade will not be used for and will not allow sexual identification or sexual orientation agendas, for or against, to be promoted."
The ACLU of Iowa responded strongly on Saturday with a letter saying that the city would be exposing itself to "substantial liability" by failing to rescind its prohibition. It said the denial came from Mayor Calvin Kinney.
The ACLU argued the decision is an infringement of Shenandoah Pride's First Amendment rights, and, similarly, Iowa's constitution. The ACLU's Sharon Wegner argued that City Attorney Mahlon Sorensen "confirmed for us there was no credible security threat."
Wegner also said no anti-LGBTQ groups planned to participate and a single-topic ban for both sides of an issue is still unconstitutional.
The letter says that the city council held a special meeting on Friday to discuss.
"The City failed, or was prevented by Mayor Kinney, to change course," the ACLU's letter says.
Jessa Bears of Shenandoah Pride, a new group, said the email from the city made it clear they weren't welcome.
"I was just really shocked," Bears said. "I wasn't expecting that at all. With a message that 'all are welcome,' I assumed we would be a part of it as well."
Shenandoah Pride had a booth at a park in Essex before the parade that had arts and crafts, stickers and cookies.
"We just want to show that we're here," she said. "There are queer people in southwest Iowa ... If anyone wants someone to talk to, we're here for that."
She says the group now has had more attention than they might've received otherwise.
"This is not the way we wanted to do it," she said.
They planned to have a convertible with a drag performer who uses the stage name, Cherry Peaks.
"I think it was a way for him (the mayor) to get out of it," he said.
He said the Essex community seemed to be supportive and said it's important to be visible so that LGBTQ+ people know they are not alone.
"If I would've seen people like me in the community maybe I would've been more comfortable with myself," he said.
We are not using Cherry Peaks' other name, because, after the interview with 3 News Now, he said he received a death threat.
Under the subject line "sorry to hear you missed the parade" it read that "some good old boy could have gotten a clean head shot and taken one more f****** aids infected f***** out of the world. well, maybe later." He said the FBI is investigating.
Certainly, not all in town are supportive of the group. One man told a 3 News Now reporter the decision is like Jason Aldean's new song, "Try That In A Small Town."
Others, though, showed their support. Some wore supporting shirts, a house had a rainbow sign in its front lawn, and a golf cart made to look like Mater from Cars had pride rainbows.
Mayor Kinney has not yet responded to a request for comment.
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