Viewpoint-based permit denials
Viewpoint-based permit denials occur when assembly, speech, or parade permits are granted or denied based on the views of those seeking the permit rather than on neutral, content-blind criteria. The First Amendment requires content neutrality in permit decisions; the issue arises when the conditions, fees, locations, or denial outcomes correlate with viewpoint. The publication tracks documented patterns of differential treatment, not the routine administration of permit systems where decisions are explained by neutral factors.
2026 Events (1)
U.S. Coast Guard removed the sloop Clearwater from a July 4 New York Harbor parade over its advocacy banners
On July 4, 2026, a U.S. Coast Guard crew ordered the historic sloop Clearwater to leave the Sail4th 250 Parade of Sail in New York Harbor because it displayed banners reading "Save the Clean Water Act" and "Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions." The Coast Guard, assisted by the Navy and NYPD, escorted the environmental nonprofit's vessel out of the procession after its crew declined to remove the messages. The agency said participants had agreed not to display political messages, while the nonprofit said it was never offered a chance to take the banners down.
2025 Events (1)
Loogootee, Indiana re-enacted an enjoined ordinance to block PrideFest from its Public Square, defying a federal injunction
On December 30, 2025, the Loogootee, Indiana City Council passed a new special-events ordinance containing at least two provisions a federal court had already permanently enjoined as unconstitutional, again restricting where PrideFest could be held relative to the city's Public Square fountain. The ordinance came four months after a federal judge ruled the city's prior special-events ordinance violated the First Amendment by singling out the LGBTQ+ festival, and the city adopted it despite that standing injunction. On January 6, 2026, the ACLU of Indiana filed a new lawsuit and a motion for contempt on behalf of the festival's organizers.