The Plano Police Department in Texas won’t investigate whether a Sept. 17 LGBT pride festival violated state obscenity laws, according to a state representative.
The North Texas Pride Festival was marketed to children 12 years old and under.
At the event there were low tables where magnets bearing obscene phrases were openly displayed.
Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano) told The Epoch Times that he requested an investigation this week in a Sept. 28 meeting with the Plano city manager and the Plano police chief but was told law enforcement “won’t do anything” due to a lack of resources.
The festival was approved through the city’s special events process, according to a Sept. 20 city council meeting where several residents complained.
“I was shocked to hear of an event that was held this past weekend but not so much by the gay aspect of the event, but the Satanists, the exorcisms, the drag queens interacting with small children, the pornography on the tables, and the van to check for sexually transmitted diseases,” Plano resident Diane Neal told council members.
Donna Biscayne, a Plano native, was angered by the fact that the festival was pitched as family-friendly.
“The vendor tables were very low to the ground, and they had all these cute little magnets with beautiful colors. The kids got to pick one and on those cute little magnets is pornography and obscenity,” she told council members.
“I didn’t see friendly, and I didn’t see family. I felt like it was an assault on our traditional values, our children, and our families.”
Under the Texas Penal Code Sec. 43.21, displays or the distribution of obscenity can be charged as a misdemeanor, or a third-degree felony depending on the circumstances.
Before apologizing publicly, Morris Garcia, co-founder and president of the North Texas Pride Foundation, thanked the city council and Sergeant Brian Frantz who was present at the festival along with other Plano police officers.
“We want to thank you again, and we also want to sincerely apologize for any unnecessary presence or unwelcome presence and promise to do due diligence in our screening in the future of our vendors to be sure that no one is exposed to anything that would be offensive,” Garcia said at the council meeting.
The Plano police department did not immediately comment.
A spokesperson for the the City of Plano told the Epoch Times that the administration carefully reviewed photos and videos of the event shared on social media and agrees that some of the material displayed meets the Texas Penal Code definition of obscenity but that additional information is needed to investigate the offenses.
“If anyone comes forward to present additional evidence, it will be investigated,” said Steve Stoler, director of communications for the City of Plano.
