Pro-life teen group uninvited last-minute from National Cherry Festival Parade

The Teens for Life group affiliated with Grand Traverse Area Right to Life was disinvited from the National Cherry Festival Community Royale Parade in Grand Traverse, Michigan, after saying their initial acceptance was due to a “clerical oversight.” The group was scheduled to march in the parade on July 6, and was told only hours before their approval was revoked. The pro-life group has marched in the parade for years without issue and received confirmation of this year’s participation a few weeks ago.

But according to Right to Life Michigan, the organizer of this year’s parade received “personal threats,” calling on him to revoke the group’s approval. Although parade organizers acknowledged calling law enforcement as a result of the threats, the only official reason they gave the youths for the reversal was a “clerical error.”

“Our policies prevent us from allowing social or political entities to march in our parade,” Cherry Festival Executive Director Kat Paye said in a statement. “We do not endorse or condone the organization or their goals; we just follow our own policy and rules.” According to the Traverse Ticker, “The departure is related to the festival’s parade rules, which prohibit any floats or walking units with a political bent or dealing with any ‘controversial’ or ‘social’ issue.”

However, some photos emailed to Live Action News from the event seem to show that controversial and social issues are indeed represented in the parade, despite this policy:

Marchers from a local church display signs calling for “racial justice” in the parade

A local church displays more signs in the parade related to political and social issues, including this one that reads, “indigenous unity.”

“We are appalled that our next generation has been denied the opportunity to join their hometown in the annual Cherry Festival Parade, all in the name of intimidation and harassment and now a clerical error. Our students expect to walk peacefully with their community just as every other approved group has the right to do so. We are proud of our students for being ready to march outside for life and we will continue to support them,” said Emily Hollabaugh, Director of Grand Traverse Area Right to Life.

State Senator John Damoose also spoke in defense of the youth who were not allowed to march.

“The Community Royale Parade and the National Cherry Festival should be nothing but fun. Traverse City Teens for Life is excited to be a part of the fun,” he said. “These kids have worked hard and made big plans for the parade that included entertainment and custom t-shirts. Then, at the last minute – more than five weeks after being approved – they were canceled due to political pressure. Once again, old age problems and politics are ruining things for our children .