Melbourne city council calls for change following Florida’s Voice report on pride fest’s sexual content to kids
MELBOURNE, Fla. – Following a Florida’s Voice report about sexual content displayed to kids at the Space Coast Pride event, Melbourne City Council members called for changes during the Tuesday council meeting.
A Florida’s Voice report revealed how an “all ages” Space Coast Pride event Saturday included a vendor’s kids table with books containing content such as sex positions. The city had approved permits for the parade and festival to take place in downtown Melbourne.
Florida’s Voice witnessed at least 50 children in attendance at the festival over the course of one hour.
Mayor Paul Alfrey said Tuesday he spoke with Sen. Debbie Mayfield, R-Melbourne, who also criticized some of the content at the event, about potential law changes on the state level. Alfrey asked council members to review Ohio’s law, which he said makes obscene material to children a felony.
“We’ll work together and we’ll come to a conclusion,” Alfrey said while closing the meeting.
The mayor said if it doesn’t pass on the state level, then the council should consider a local ordinance.
Several picture books that had been taken out of some Florida schools were at one of the booths at the pride festival, which appeared to be aimed at kids. For example, one book titled “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris and Michael Emberley, showed sexual positions, described masturbation, and other sexual content.
“We have got to address that and come up with a way to fix it or we don’t do the fest here anymore,” Councilmember Tim Thomas said at the beginning of the meeting.
“Let’s say I took my child there not knowing what it is, and one of them opened the book with the sexual positions, I would have went off. I would not have been happy,” Alfrey said.
The mayor said some of the festival’s content “probably violated” city ordinance.
After the meeting, the mayor confirmed to Reporter Amber Jo Cooper that he thought parts of her story were incorrect.
“What was wrong with this story? With my reporting. You said there were a couple of things wrong,” Cooper asked the mayor.
The mayor pointed to Florida’s Voice talking about a new law that applies to schools.
Alfrey: You said the books were banned from schools…discontinued for some […] That doesn’t apply for the city because we’re not the school board. I understand they’re banned.
Cooper: I didn’t say it was.
The original report for Florida’s Voice about the festival only mentioned that some of these books at the festival were removed from schools. Nothing was mentioned about that law applying to the city.
At the same time, the mayor also thanked Cooper for the reporting.
Cooper asked the mayor what else was incorrect about the story, but no other examples were given.
During the meeting, Vice Mayor Mark LaRusso said Florida’s Voice needed to “retract a statement” that the city “sponsored” the event.
“All I’m trying to do it pull out the little singular issues that are misinformation and false to the public, and we’re under a microscope, so that is a false statement and I believe Florida Voice should retract that statement,” LaRusso said in the meeting.
LaRusso claimed Florida’s Voice “can’t put stuff out like that.” However, Florida’s Voice never reported that the city “sponsored the event.”
He found issue with Cooper’s email question but never responded to it.
On Monday, Reporter Amber Jo Cooper had sent multiple questions in email to city council members asking, “Do you have any further comments on this city-sponsored event?”
Additionally, none of the other councilmembers responded to the email or provided clarity on the words used in the emailed question. Florida’s Voice told the councilmembers a response would be greatly appreciated by 12:30 p.m. after the email was sent at 10:30 a.m. The report was later published at 4 p.m.
Florida’s Voice only reported that the event was “city-approved” after obtaining information about the festival’s permit at noon.
Following the Tuesday city council meeting, Reporter Amber Jo Cooper asked the vice mayor about his retraction comments. The vice mayor confirmed to Cooper that he believed Florida’s Voice falsely reported that the city “sponsored” the event.
However, Cooper pointed out that the story was actually headlined “city-approved” and not “sponsored.”
“If I’m incorrect then I stand corrected,” LaRusso told Cooper.
City-approved ‘all ages’ Space Coast Pride event promotes sexually explicit book at kids table, drag shows
Additionally, at the event, Florida’s Voice also witnessed a drag performer that had an outfit, which appeared to have “cut outs” on their butt. Multiple items were being sold at the event such as “kinky earrings,” tails, and other items.
“It looked like the butt cheeks were exposed. So the perception, even if they weren’t exposed, the perception is there’s butt cheeks there and you’ve got kids there,” Thomas said. “I believe in first amendment. The other important part of this is we’ve got to protect our kids.”
The mayor later said that performer’s situation raises questions about thongs being illegal at beaches.
“What if we’re on the beach and somebody’s got a thong on, is that illegal?” Alfrey said.
According to the permit obtained by Florida’s Voice, the event estimated to bring 18,000 people. The city approved both the parade and the festival. The parade was scheduled from 11:00 am to 12:30 p.m. and the festival went until 6:00 p.m.
