Event approved then canceled on Mansfield square

(Editor’s Note: This article features an effort to organize the facts as they were discovered. This should not be treated as commentary for or against public pride events. No further information was provided by the City by our early press time.)
The future of renting the square in Mansfield will likely be a main topic of discussion when the City of Mansfield holds their upcoming Thursday, June 11 meeting.
This is due to the controversy surrounding reservations of the square that were previously booked for June before the City Council decided to cancel all reservations at their May 14 meeting.
One reservation was made by Theresa Nicolosi for June 6 as she was set to host her second annual pride event for the area LGBTQ+ community. This year’s Heartland Pride theme was to include a potluck lunch and a family-friendly social gathering time that would also feature some music and colorful decorations with flags, flowers, rainbows and more.
On June 29, 2025, Nicolosi hosted her first pride event on Mansfield’s square and her expectation of around 10 people attending turned into nearly 45 people showing up for the afternoon gathering. She did note there was a small counter protest to their first event just off the square featuring what she described as around 10 people with a speaker system and gospel music.
With anticipation that a 2026 event could grow even bigger, Nicolosi acquired insurance with a focus on adding vendors and filled out the necessary paperwork in the City Clerk’s office. Nicolosi noted that the growth in turnout is because those who attend would rather stay close to home for a pride event as oppose to going to one held in a larger city.
“Out here, isolation is a big problem for people in the LGBTQ+ community,”she noted. “They can feel very lonely with just no support systems... Our goal is simple: to make sure LGBTQ+ people in rural Missouri know they have community, resources and support right here at home. When people feel connected and valued, the whole community becomes stronger. Pride is about community, not division.”
According to Nicolosi, since streets were not being closed, she was told on May 11 by the City Clerk that the mayor said no City Council approval was needed during the upcoming May 14 meeting. This means she did not need to be there.
Nicolosi then heard rumblings in the community that caused her to go anyway. Early in the City Council meeting, several area residents made public comments regarding their concerns on the square hosting a pride event.
According to the drafted minutes provided by City Clerk Kim Rader, area residents who voiced their concerns about the pride event included Ian Gehris, Allen Pritchard, Mitch Salmon (spoke on free speech, morals and values), Jon Augustine, Shane Gray, Daniel McFall, Charles Felker and Zach Stargle.
Valerie Naberhuis spoke on God in her comments while Gray reportedly asked the Council to “stand against evil and the community will stand with the Council.”
Nicolosi then provided the Council with information on the event and noted that it was a celebration.
Later in the meeting during new business, Brandon Dodd told the City Council that he had tried to reserve the square for the entire month of June. According to drafted meeting minutes, Dodd said that there was failure in placing his request on the calendar and he asked the City Council to honor his request.
At this time, Mayor Derrick Neal made an attorney-based recommendation that all use of the City square in June is to be denied. Alderman then approved the recommendation.
While there are hopes for a future pride event to be scheduled on the square, Nicolosi said she’s looking at other sites to still keep her June 6 date.
“This afternoon, the City Clerk of Mansfield confirmed that they are not taking any reservations for any events on the square at this time,” said the GLO Center of Springfield in a statement. “At best, this reflects a serious failure in maintaining and managing public reservations. At worst, it represents an intentional effort to prevent Heartland Pride from taking place. Either way, LGBTQ+ residents, families, friends and allies have been denied access to a public gathering space meant to serve the entire community.”