JVW Posted May 10 Posted May 10 My wife stumbled on this news article today and we were trying to figure out the legality of it. http://youtube.com/post/UgkxsdFBF51Fq9zHrtT4PwTdn2gnSUiLQuPx?si=VcxugLUNslojTO5M Whether it was political/religious discrimination from the governor of Texas or was instead following the laws and protecting himself from a lawsuit? the long story short is that a group of Muslims rented out a city water park for an event exclusive only to Muslims and the the governor said it was religious discrimination against non Muslims using government property and forced its cancellation. i don’t know how the US constitution applies here, if anything like this has happened before in Texas from other religious groups, or how Texas law interacts here. what do you all think about this thing? Please don’t talk politics, we all know that you think politician x is a stupid idiot jerk, I don’t want to hear about it. Also I’m going to specifically ping @smac97 because I know he loves this sort of thing. thank you all very much for you time and consideration regarding this topic. Cheers!
Calm Posted May 10 Posted May 10 (edited) Seems like if the government rents out the water park to any community groups or anyone that restrict the event to those invited only, the government should be allowed to rent to religious groups for exclusive events as long as they rent to all religious groups. It’s partial treatment that is the issue, iirc. If the Muslim group can show the water park was rented out for exclusive events, sounds like a lawsuit is appropriate. Edited May 10 by Calm 4
Calm Posted May 10 Posted May 10 This news article suggests it was prejudice imo. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2026/05/07/551202/islamic-celebration-at-grand-prairie-water-park-is-canceled-after-threat-by-gov-abbott/ Quote The city of Grand Prairie has canceled a private party for Muslims at a city-owned water park. The decision came hours after Gov. Greg Abbott issued an ultimatum to all off the event at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark by Monday or lose $530,000 in state funds. Aminah Knight rented the park for a June 1 celebration of Eid, an Islamic holy day that celebrates devotion and sacrifice. An emailed statement to the Dallas Morning News from the city said it canceled the party “after further review and in the best interest” of the city. Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to pull state funding from the city of Grand Prairie Wednesday. The governor threatened to pull $530,000 in state funding if the city did not cancel the event by May 11, citing an early version of the flier that advertised it as “Muslims only.” The event’s organizer, Aminah Knight, told KERA News the goal of the event was to promote modesty and was never about excluding other faiths from the event. “We’re just saying that for one day, we are curating a space where people who value modesty can come together,” Knight said. “It’s a family friendly event, and they will also need to adhere to modesty, which means wearing swim shirts and trunks.” Knight says she booked Epic Waters, a Grand Prairie-owned water park, for the June 1 event and has paid the associated fees. “What is being portrayed is that the park is shutting down to have Muslims only,” Knight said. “I am curating this event for the Muslim community for which I am a part of, so that we can gather and have a good time in a modest environment that is rare for water parks.” Eid al-Adha is a four-day Islamic celebration that focuses on community and charity. Knight said Grand Prairie has not contacted her about the event but hopes the event is not canceled. The city declined to comment to KERA Tuesday. It is not the first time Abbott has threatened state funding for Islamic related events and projects. Late last year, the governor targeted the Muslim-centric housing development The Meadows, formerly EPIC City, for housing discrimination. That battle is ongoing. Supporters of the Meadows have said Abbott is targeting them based on their religious beliefs. Additionally, Abbott currently investigating the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country’s largest Muslim civil rights organization. The legislature also passed a bill banning “Sharia Law” in Texas — a law Abbott pointed to when addressing the June 1 celebration, calling the event “religious discrimination” and “unconstitutional” in an X post. Knight said she was frustrated by conservative attacks, calling them hypocritical. Heaven forbid that a religious group promotes modesty. 3
Pyreaux Posted May 10 Posted May 10 (edited) Normally, a private group can rent a facility like a community center or park pavilion and limit who attends. However, when the facility is a major public utility like a city’s only water park, the lines blur. If a city allows a Christian-only or LDS-only day at a public pool, it faces the same legal hurdle. The government is essentially facilitating segregation by religion on public property. This is why most cities avoid "exclusive" religious rentals and instead opt for "sponsored events" where anyone can buy a ticket, even if the theme is religious. The Free Exercise Clause protects the right of the Muslim group to gather and celebrate. The Establishment Clause prevents the government from appearing to favor or "establish" one religion. By allowing a religious group to take over a public asset and exclude others, the state could be seen as violating this clause. If a city-owned recreation center in Provo held an LDS-only night, it would almost certainly face immediate federal lawsuits from groups like the ACLU or the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The legal standard is content neutrality. The city can't treat a Muslim group differently than it would treat a Catholic group or a secular group. Muslims have my sympathy over the modesty factor. If perhaps this was about the preference for Burka swimwear, modest dress is generally legally protected under the Free Exercise Clause. A group can rent a facility and require a specific dress code (e.g., "modest swimwear only") as long as the requirement doesn't technically exclude people based on their identity or faith. The conflict in Texas arose specifically from it being "Muslims only". Edited May 10 by Pyreaux 1
bluebell Posted May 10 Posted May 10 Our ward rented out the city's only water park in North Dakota and it wasn't an issue. If the city allows organizations to rent it's facilities for private events then not allow it for a Muslim event seems like a slam dunk for that city getting sued and that group making a lot of money off of the tax payers because of a really dumb Govenor. 4
JVW Posted May 10 Author Posted May 10 42 minutes ago, Calm said: This news article suggests it was prejudice imo. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2026/05/07/551202/islamic-celebration-at-grand-prairie-water-park-is-canceled-after-threat-by-gov-abbott/ Heaven forbid that a religious group promotes modesty. Thanks for finding a good article to share. I wonder if the govt would have responded the same way if it was themed as a “modest swim night” instead of a religious holy day celebration. i wonder if the Jews rented out a govt facility to celebrate Passover if there would be a similar response. Whereas if that same event was framed as a non-religious dinner party if it would get the same pushback. i imagine that any event hosted would be open for anyone with a ticket, and the article you found suggests that was the case here. So maybe the specific tie to a religious holy day is the issue. Though now we are getting into Christmas territory and that will open a whole can of worms. 2
Calm Posted May 10 Posted May 10 (edited) 2 hours ago, Pyreaux said: uslims have my sympathy over the modesty factor. If perhaps this about the preference for Burka swimwear, modest dress is generally legally protected under the Free Exercise Clause. A group can rent a facility and require a specific dress code (e.g., "modest swimwear only") as long as the requirement doesn't technically exclude people based on their identity or faith. The conflict in Texas arose specifically from it being "Muslims only". Except according to the article, that was an early flier and a mistake. The modest dress code was the actual requirement, not Muslims only. (Removed comment that felt nonpolitical since I was thinking of legal consequences of the likelihood of the government getting sued, not political ones, but likely would be seen as such.) Quote The governor threatened to pull $530,000 in state funding if the city did not cancel the event by May 11, citing an early version of the flier that advertised it as “Muslims only.” The event’s organizer, Aminah Knight, told KERA News the goal of the event was to promote modesty and was never about excluding other faiths from the event. “We’re just saying that for one day, we are curating a space where people who value modesty can come together,” Knight said. “It’s a family friendly event, and they will also need to adhere to modesty, which means wearing swim shirts and trunks.” Edited May 10 by Calm
Calm Posted May 10 Posted May 10 (edited) 4 hours ago, JVW said: So maybe the specific tie to a religious holy day is the issue. No mention of that however….plus if the city can celebrate Christmas (and I am betting they can), that would be discrimination. Added: I checked…Texas cities sponsoring Christmas events (got it from Chat so now will doublecheck it): “City of Lucas “Country Christmas” Event — official city-sponsored Christmas celebration with tree lighting and Santa activities. “Each winter, the City of Lucas welcomes residents and visitors alike to its beloved Country Christmas celebration — a cherished tradition that brings our community together for an evening of holiday joy, laughter, and light. Held at Lucas Community Park, this family-friendly event captures the warmth and wonder of the season with festive music, holiday activities, and the glow of the annual tree lighting ceremony” Bay City “HomeTown Christmas” — official Bay City Parks & Recreation Christmas festival and parade. “Bay City Announces HomeTown Christmas Celebration 2025 A Month-Long Series of Holiday Events Begins December 4th The Bay City Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to announce the 6thAnnual HomeTown Christmas Celebration, bringing a full month of holiday activities to the community this December. This year’s celebration features long-standing favorites, exciting new additions, and festive fun for all ages. The event kicks off with the 45th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade, in partnership with the Bay City Chamber of Commerce, in downtown Bay City on Thursday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m. Last year’s parade featured over 60 entries, with trophies awarded to top-scoring groups in each category.” City of Texas City Holiday Events Calendar — includes Christmas parade, holiday market, “Celebrate the Season,” and other city holiday programming. Lights in Liberty Christmas Festival — city-backed Christmas lights festival in Liberty, Texas. There are many others as well: City of Midland “Merry Lights” City of Conroe Christmas tree lighting and holiday festival City of Laredo Christmas parade Houston Mayor’s Holiday Spectacular” 5 hours ago, Pyreaux said: If perhaps this about the preference for Burka swimwear Requires only a swim shirt and trunks. You can get them pretty cheap on Amazon, though the cheap fabrics fade fast. I typically wear a swim shirt and swim leggings purely for comfort (my body poorly regulates temp and this keeps me warm long enough to heat up after about 15 minutes of laps). I much prefer these and will never go back to regular swim wear even if I get to the point of looking good on them again. Edited May 11 by Calm
JVW Posted May 10 Author Posted May 10 2 hours ago, Calm said: This news article suggests it was prejudice imo. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2026/05/07/551202/islamic-celebration-at-grand-prairie-water-park-is-canceled-after-threat-by-gov-abbott/ Heaven forbid that a religious group promotes modesty. I also forgot to add that there is mixed messaging here. The flier for the event explicitly states “Muslim only” at least twice. (You can see it in the YT link, it’s to a post not a video.) yet this guy who rented it is saying all are welcome…
Calm Posted May 11 Posted May 11 (edited) 3 hours ago, JVW said: I also forgot to add that there is mixed messaging here. The flier for the event explicitly states “Muslim only” at least twice. (You can see it in the YT link, it’s to a post not a video.) yet this guy who rented it is saying all are welcome… Yep, but the article said it was an early flier. Sounds like it was either a mistake (maybe the person who created the flier assumes it was and no one doublechecked) or they reconsidered shortly after printing the first? flier since the event person didn’t say ‘we had originally planned Muslim only, but reconsidered when we figured there would be others who would enjoy a family friendly dress code’ or ‘we were happy to compromise with the city’ (I am not making the claim something less than shorts and swim shorts aren’t family friendly, but that does seem the implication made). Now she may have been doing PR CYA stuff, but if not (and my guess is they will have to prove that it isn’t CYA or admit they were planning ‘Muslim only’ until given no option), the governor is going to have to explain why he made a threat on out dated info. I want to say more, but it will go political if I do I am guessing. Any chance we know the date of the early flier and any later publicity that opened it up to others? You want to publicize an event early enough for people to make plans, but then again close to the event…maybe even for several days because many people get distracted easily, so there could be weeks between the early flier and the date of the event. Added: event is June 1st, so definitely weeks. Wonder what other publicity has already been done besides the early flier. I still don’t understand why the governor just didn’t have someone on his staff contact the event person to ensure the info was correct or to persuade them to open it up to more than Muslims if that was his only issue with it. If it wasn’t the only issue he had as the article implies, then there may be a big problem. Edited May 11 by Calm 1
Calm Posted May 11 Posted May 11 (edited) Okay, can’t find the date issued for the original flier, but the reissued one was May 4th. https://nypost.com/2026/05/04/us-news/muslim-only-event-at-taxpayer-funded-texas-waterpark-gets-backlash/ If the Post’s info is correct, looks like the backlash was what caused the change from Muslim only to modesty only in the publicizing. And it is burkinis for all women. Not just swim shirt and trunks as the first article I posted claimed…unless there was been another change. Pretty sure not. “Knight told The Post that she did not mean to exclude non-Muslims in organizing the event. “The core intention behind this event is to create a space where individuals and families who value modest dress and a modest environment can come together and feel comfortable enjoying a recreational space that often doesn’t naturally accommodate those preferences,” she said. “While the event is rooted in celebrating Eid within the Muslim community, the guiding principle for attendance is the modest dress code. “Guests are expected to follow that guideline; such as burkinis for women and swim trunks with shirts for men.”” The “didn’t mean to not include non Muslims in organizing it”…does that mean in the planning or the partying? If the second, I get why one would assume if burkinis were required for all women, only Muslims would be interested…though there may be women like me who have considered getting one if ever outside swimming because burning so easily with skin cancer rampant in the family and my husband having to get a spot burned practically every year. Edited May 11 by Calm 2
Calm Posted May 11 Posted May 11 From the event website: https://dfwepiceid.com Quote UPDATE: May 7, 2026 At 11:24 AM this morning, Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark emailed me to say my event was cancelled. I am deeply disappointed. But I want you to understand what this event truly was. This event was born out of love, for our community, and especially for our daughters. Being a young Muslim girl in America is layered in ways many people never see. There is the love of God, the guidance of family, and then there is the world: school hallways, social media, the constant message that beauty means showing skin. For a girl trying to hold onto her faith and her sense of self in the middle of all of that, the weight can be enormous. A waterpark is one of the last places modesty is expected or celebrated. That is exactly why this space matters. When our girls come together, swimming freely, seeing other young women in modest swimwear looking joyful and fully themselves, something happens to their souls. They go back into the world standing a little taller, a little more fortified. And it wasn’t just for the girls. Last year, I watched a woman fully covered, even in a face veil, going down the tallest slides in the park, having the time of her life. I have never seen that at any Eid celebration. Our mothers are always watching the kids, always carrying the weight. This event was for them too. A moment to just be. To not feel the exhaustion of being a minority. To not carry the weight of wearing hijab in an islamophobic climate and doing it anyway. To just be free, together, for one afternoon. The flyer was originally shared within private Muslim community spaces. It was circulated more broadly by people who were not interested in attending, but in creating division. While hateful messages came, so did something unexpected: important conversations about Muslims in America and how our community is seen. Islam teaches that within every difficulty there is ease. And I believe something beautiful can still come from this. To our community, and especially to our daughters and our mothers: You are beautiful. Your modesty is not a burden. You deserve spaces where that is celebrated. And we will create them. With love and faith, Dr. Aminah Knight Organizer, DFW Epic Eid A Statement from the Organizer of DFW Epic Eid Over the past few days, there has been increased attention surrounding our upcoming DFW Epic Eid event at Epic Waters, and I want to take a moment to provide clarity directly. DFW Epic Eid is a privately organized and privately funded event held through a standard rental of Epic Waters, just like many other private gatherings hosted at the park. This event was created to celebrate Eid al-Adha, one of the most important holidays in Islam, which commemorates faith, devotion, and gratitude. At its core, this event is about creating a space where individuals and families, particularly those who value modest dress and a modest environment, can come together and enjoy a recreational setting comfortably. In response to feedback, we have updated our materials to clearly reflect that this is a modest dress-only event, centered around a respectful and family-friendly environment. So if you are a friend of a different faith who wants to celebrate the Eid holiday with us and adhere to the modest dress code…. this event is FOR YOU TOO! I also want to say this clearly: I will not allow something beautiful and well-intentioned to be turned into something that it is not. I am someone who deeply loves my community, Muslim and Non- Muslim alike. I am an educator, a mother of six, and someone who believes in engaging with perspectives different from my own in order to build deeper understanding and meaningful connection across communities. This event is, and has always been, about one thing: Love. Love for community. Love for family. Love for creating spaces where people feel comfortable, seen, and able to fully participate. Last year, over 600 people attended, representing the rich diversity of the DFW Muslim community. Families connected, friendships were formed, and it was a joyful and meaningful experience for many. That is what this event is about. And that is what we look forward to continuing this year and for years to come. To our community, to lovers of modest fashion and those who are curious about Eid and what modesty at a waterpark can look like: You are welcome. You are safe. This space was created with you in mind. We look forward to celebrating together. With Love, Dr. Aminah Knight
smac97 Posted May 11 Posted May 11 (edited) 17 hours ago, JVW said: My wife stumbled on this news article today and we were trying to figure out the legality of it. http://youtube.com/post/UgkxsdFBF51Fq9zHrtT4PwTdn2gnSUiLQuPx?si=VcxugLUNslojTO5M ... Also I’m going to specifically ping @smac97 because I know he loves this sort of thing. Yes, the original "Muslims-only" version was almost certainly illegal (or at minimum unconstitutional) under U.S. and Texas law. Public Facility + Government Actor: Epic Waters is a city-owned waterpark funded by taxpayer dollars (including a dedicated sales tax). When a government entity rents out a public facility, it is still bound by the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and federal civil rights laws (Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in public accommodations). Religious Discrimination: Explicitly advertising and enforcing a "Muslims Only" policy constitutes religious discrimination. Government cannot: Exclude people from a public facility based on religion. Allow a private group to use government property to engage in religious discrimination on the government's behalf. This is analogous to a city-owned pool hosting a "Christians Only," "Jews Only," or "Whites Only" event — all of which would be blatantly unconstitutional. In contrast, a corporation renting the park and restricting it to its own invitees is, I think, generally fine. The problem arises when the event is promoted in a way that uses the public facility to send a message of religious exclusion (or racial exclusion) to the broader public. That crosses from protected private association into unconstitutional discrimination on government property. Governor Abbott’s Position: Gov. Abbott called the event “religious discrimination” and “unconstitutional,” threatening to pull $530,000 in state grants unless the city canceled it. I think he was legally on solid ground. The event was eventually changed to “All are welcome” (with a modest dress code) and later fully canceled due to, it seems, public pressure, bad optics, the change being pretextual, etc. Key Distinction: Private vs. Public A truly private event at a privately owned venue (e.g., renting a private hall or a church) could legally restrict attendance to Muslims (freedom of association + Free Exercise Clause). However, the venue would likely face bad optics for this. Once an event involves a government-owned facility and public advertising, the rules change dramatically. The state cannot facilitate religious exclusion. Legal Precedent Supreme Court cases like Gilmore v. City of Montgomery (1974) and others prohibit governments from leasing public facilities in ways that enable discrimination. Government cannot use “private” groups as a subterfuge to accomplish what it could not do directly. The original "Muslims-only" advertising and policy for a publicly owned waterpark was illegal religious discrimination. The organizers and city tried to walk it back by changing the language and calling it a “private party,” but because the venue is taxpayer-funded and open to the public, that defense doesn’t fully hold up. This is a pretty good example of why public facilities must remain open to all citizens regardless of religion. Private religious gatherings are fine, but not when they use government property to exclude others based on faith. I also wonder if this event drew public attention/ire due to recent news items about "Epic City." From Wikipedia: Quote EPIC City is a master-planned Islamic community-centered residential development project in Texas, situated approximately 40 minutes from Dallas near the town of Josephine. The initiative spans 402 acres across unincorporated portions of Collin and Hunt counties, and was initiated by the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC).[1][2] Since its announcement in 2024, the project has generated both significant interest from potential residents and controversy from political figures and social media commentators. ... EPIC City is a development project initiated by the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) to be managed through its specially created entity, Community Capital Partners.[1] Imran Chaudhary, who was previously the mosque's president of its board of directors, holds the position of executive officer and director of the Community Capital Partners business. The proposed community is designed to feature over 1,000 residential units, along with a mosque, a K–12 faith-based school, a community college, and commercial shopping facilities. ... Community Capital Partners issued a statement affirming their commitment to comply with the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on protected characteristics, including religion. The developers stated they would not impose "blanket bans on any group of people" but would conduct "thorough individualized assessments of prospective buyers" to ensure alignment with community goals of "safety and security."[2] EPIC resident scholar Yasir Qadhi described the community as a "Muslim neighborhood" that would remain "well integrated" within the broader community. Project representatives emphasized that the development aims to create a "diverse and inclusive" community where people of various backgrounds can coexist harmoniously.[2] ... Controversy The announcement of the project sparked controversy and multiple political responses. On February 24, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott publicly expressed opposition to the development, sharing concerns on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).[4] Abbott specifically stated: "To be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas. Nor are Sharia cities. Nor are 'no go zones' which this project seems to imply." The governor's comments were in response to characterizations of the project as a "402-Acre Sharia City" by conservative commentator Amy Mek, though no public statements from the project organizers had overtly referenced implementing Sharia law or creating governance structures separate from existing U.S. laws.[2] ... Project representative Yasir Qadhi emphasized that EPIC City was not intended to be isolated from the wider community, stating: "We are not forming a cult. We're not forming big barriers between the rest of society. We're going to be giving back to this state and this country, and we're going to be showing what it means to be a Muslim neighborhood."[2] The developers modified language on their website after questions from media, removing text that had indicated sales would be limited to "persons we believe will contribute to the overall makeup of our community."[4] ... On June 20, 2025, Governor Abbott signed Texas House Bill 4211 (HB 4211)[12] with the intent of placing restrictions on developments like EPIC City that would prevent them from becoming "discriminatory compounds" that practice local laws which are contradictory to laws found in the American legal system. Governor Abbott specifically stated, "[This law] requires disputes to be resolved by Texas law and Texas courts, not Sharia law."[12] In response, EPIC City's legal attorney, Dan Cogdell, stated, "We were never going to invoke Sharia law... We were never going to have Muslim-only ownership."[13] The United States Department of Justice ("DOJ") has also stepped in to examine the project, at the invitation of Texas politicians.[9] The DOJ ended its investigation a month later, saying the developers had pledged to abide by federal fair-housing laws.[14] On December 5, 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against EPIC City claiming securities fraud.[15] Also in December EPIC City has been met with pushback from individuals associated with the far-right such as the conservative online personality Jake Lang. Lang organized an "anti-Islam" protest outside of the EPIC mosque, where he held the severed head of a pig and marched alongside other demonstrators holding a banner which read "Americans against Islamification."[16] "The developers stated they ... would conduct 'thorough individualized assessments of prospective buyers' to ensure alignment with community goals of 'safety and security.'" "The developers modified language on their website after questions from media, removing text that had indicated sales would be limited to 'persons we believe will contribute to the overall makeup of our community.'" "EPIC City's legal attorney, Dan Cogdell, stated, 'We were never going to invoke Sharia law... We were never going to have Muslim-only ownership.'" I think the first two points have created sentiments of suspicion regarding the developers' intentions. The behavior of Jake Lang surely is an ugly and unfortunate thing. Thanks, -Smac Edited May 11 by smac97 2
BlueDreams Posted May 11 Posted May 11 18 hours ago, JVW said: My wife stumbled on this news article today and we were trying to figure out the legality of it. http://youtube.com/post/UgkxsdFBF51Fq9zHrtT4PwTdn2gnSUiLQuPx?si=VcxugLUNslojTO5M Whether it was political/religious discrimination from the governor of Texas or was instead following the laws and protecting himself from a lawsuit? the long story short is that a group of Muslims rented out a city water park for an event exclusive only to Muslims and the the governor said it was religious discrimination against non Muslims using government property and forced its cancellation. i don’t know how the US constitution applies here, if anything like this has happened before in Texas from other religious groups, or how Texas law interacts here. what do you all think about this thing? Please don’t talk politics, we all know that you think politician x is a stupid idiot jerk, I don’t want to hear about it. Also I’m going to specifically ping @smac97 because I know he loves this sort of thing. thank you all very much for you time and consideration regarding this topic. Cheers! This is a little sticky to not include some political context. There's been a rash of more islamaphobic campaigning recently in Texas around this region specifically. For example, I still have a texas area code for my cell phone, even though I don't live there and received a political flyer from a primary candidate broadcastingn about fighting so "sharia law" can be banned "nation wide." Note, this wasn't a whacko politician without a hope/prayer of winning out there politician, it was the incumbent primary campaign for a national seat. Beyond that, there's been fights against Muslim based private schools (several who meet state requirements were at first omitted from funding/programs that other Christian based schools were). And a fight about a planned community around a mosque and containing a said faith based school (it would not be a Muslim-only community, though) was likely the catalyst for much of this. So when I read this, my gut said likely discriminatory. Or at least circling around prejudice. 4
Calm Posted May 11 Posted May 11 (edited) 9 hours ago, smac97 said: also wonder if this event drew public attention/ire due to recent news items about "Epic City." They held the event in 2025 (they have a video of it iirc). I wonder if that was “Muslim only” or this time was the first. Seems like it would have been noticed, Maybe I will try and see if Google can come up with the past year’s adverts. Edited May 11 by Calm
The Nehor Posted May 13 Posted May 13 This was state government trying to coerce local government to shut down an event because flying the anti-Muslim flag appeals to many in Texas. This was a rental for an exclusive event. It had been happening for years. Usually in such agreements the organizer that rents the facility decides who can attend. For example a company might rent such a venue for an event and invite only employees and their families or a private club could do the same or whatever. The governor is trying to intimidate local governments and to wave the anti-Muslim flag. They just noticed this event this year. Why? *cough* election year *cough* Also the flyer removed the “Muslims only” flyers and just had the dress code and yet the state continued to threaten to pull funding. I posit that a Southern Baptist group doing the same thing and having a “Christians Only” flyer would have gone unnoticed or, if it were noticed, would have quietly removed the “Christians Only” bit and then been ignored. The Texas state government is actively trying to make “undesirables” know how unwelcome they are. Several of my friends have moved away due to this. This is not a bug to our leadership. It is a feature. 3
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