Arlington Pride returns to Levitt Pavilion in June 2027 after being canceled for 2026
The HELP Center for LGBTQ+ Health says it will bring back Arlington Pride next year after the festivities were canceled earlier this year following a controversial vote by the city council.
In an announcement shared on Tuesday, the center announced the Levitt Pavilion will host Arlington Pride on June 12, 2027. Leaders of the HELP Center said recent local election results were favorable and happened in the wake of the new ordinance's approval, which was approved by a 7-2 vote in February.
"Arlington voters have spoken clearly," said DeeJay Johannessen, President and CEO of the HELP Center. "They elected leaders who understand that strong communities are built by bringing people together. The results demonstrate that Arlington residents want a city where every person is treated with dignity and respect and has the opportunity to thrive."
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross concurred in a statement provided by the HELP Center.
"I believe Arlington is strongest when every resident knows they belong and are wanted," Ross said. "I look forward to working with community leaders to put forward solutions that make sure all our citizens have confidence that discrimination will not be tolerated in our community."
Why was Arlington Pride canceled?
The HELP Center said it canceled the LGBTQ+ pride festivities after the city council voted to approve a new non-discrimination ordinance in February. Residents who spoke out said it weakened the city of Arlington's ability to address discrimination complaints.
A key section of the updated language states the city administrator "will not conduct investigations into complaints, provide legal advice, advocate for the complainant, take sides in the dispute, or tell the complainant what to do."
The previous ordinance, which included protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community and was adopted in 2021, was suspended in 2025 after city staff raised concerns that the ordinance would impact the city's ability to receive federal funding, citing the Trump administration's threat to withhold funds from cities with DEI programs.
"This came up because our legal department tried to protect the city of Arlington," Bowie Hogg, the District 7 council member, said during a city council meeting in December 2025. During that meeting, the council voted not to reinstate the 2021 ordinance.
Johannessen, the HELP Center CEO, lambasted that decision in an interview with CBS News Texas.
"If Arlington removed sexual orientation from the list of protected classes, they would be the first city in the history of our nation to do so," said Johannessen. "The city has received no correspondence, no information, nothing threatening any money. So, our position is no federal funding was ever at risk."
Conservative groups like Texas Values supported the removal of certain terms from the anti-discrimination ordinance, including "sexual orientation" and "gender identity".
The HELP Center canceled Arlington Pride's 2026 festivities once the new ordinance was approved, saying the ordinance was a blow to civil rights. Johannessen evoked concerns about keeping both residents and visitors protected during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
"If somebody were to come to Arlington for the World Cup and they were to be discriminated against, the only thing Arlington does is give you a phone number to the federal government now," Johannessen said.
A statement from the HELP Center shared after the vote for the new ordinance called on tourism professionals and event planners to "carefully assess whether Arlington's new ordinance aligns with their clients' policies, risk standards, and organizational values".
Moving forward with Arlington Pride
The outcry about the new ordinance, coupled with the festival's cancelation, garnered more attention for Arlington Pride. The HELP Center notes Johannessen represented the festival and the center as a special guest of New York City Pride last weekend during the 2026 NYC Pride Parade. The center said New York City Pride invited them in recognition of the community's response to the cancellation of Arlington Pride.
Now, the HELP Center says the focus for Arlington Pride is on the future.
"While there have been difficult times over the past year, our focus now is on moving forward," Johannessen said. "We remain committed to working collaboratively with the Mayor, City Council, city administration, business leaders, and residents to ensure Arlington continues to be a city where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and protected from discrimination."
The HELP Center was founded in 1994 as a response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Since then, it has grown in its mission to provide access to healthcare regardless of one's ability to pay. The center's services range from HIV prevention and pharmacy services to gender-affirming care for adults and behavioral health services. The center says it served more than 7,000 people from across Texas with both in-person and telehealth services, delivering more than $65 million in medications and healthcare services at no cost to patients. Further, the HELP Center says more than 100,000 people were reached through its education and advocacy programming.
Arlington Pride was founded in 2022. The HELP Center said it quickly became one of the state's premier celebrations of LGBTQ+ pride. In 2025, the center said the festivities brought in more than 15,600 attendees and generated an estimated $4.5 million in local economic impact.