Pastor urges ban on minors at Marshfield Pride event, accuses performers of "grooming"

Pastor Ray LeBlanc of Remnant Fellowship Church used his public-comment time to urge the Marshfield Common Council to prevent children under 18 from attending the city's Pride event at Wentzel/Winsel Family Park, asserting that performers exposed minors and describing the conduct as "grooming." He said he brought photos and that "Facebook lit up" last year over the event; he named June 28 as the upcoming date for this year's event.

LeBlanc said the performances he observed included drag performers entering a splash pool where children were playing and encouraged tipping of performers. He said he and others had filmed and photographed the events for several years and asked the council to "reexamine the negative effects that this sexualized group of performers are having on children," urging that children under 18 be excluded or that performances occur in controlled indoor venues.

LeBlanc also referenced a legal finding reported in the transcript: "your city attorney, mister Wolfgram, declared that this statute was not violated because there was no lewdness observed," and asked whether the listening/viewing language in the statute had been adequately considered. The transcript does not record any council or staff action in response to LeBlanc's request, nor does it record any formal finding that the event violated city or state law; his comments remained public testimony.

No policy change or vote on the Pride event was recorded in the meeting transcript; the matter remained in public comment only.