SALISBURY — Minutes after electing a new mayor Tuesday night, the new Salisbury City Council was presented with one of its first dilemmas.

Three people spoke during the public-comment period about the Holiday Caravan Parade and its organizers’ decision not to allow a gay rights group to participate in the parade.

One speaker, Veleria Levy, asked that the city consider not issuing a permit for the parade if the nonprofit organization continues to “blatantly discriminate.”

Members of Salisbury Rowan PFLAG said they were not allowed to ride on a float in the parade because they were wearing rainbow-colored clothing.

The Holiday Caravan board said PFLAG members were removed because the float they were going to ride, sponsored by Avita Pharmacy, “didn’t follow the rules and tried to change the entry without approval.”

“That is all this was about,” the board said in an email.

PFLAG was invited to join Avita Pharmacy’s float after Avita’s original application was submitted, a spokesman for the business has said.

Levy, who is an Avita representative, emailed to ask the parade board if PFLAG could join the float. Parade board member Lindsay Sharp responded and said that Avita could have whoever it wanted as long as nothing was advertised other than Avita Pharmacy.

During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Salisbury Rowan PFLAG President Donna Odrosky said that as far as she is concerned, the Holiday Caravan Parade is now “stained.”

“While lawfully this private entity has that right to exclude any person and group they wish, given the amount of support and resources from the city of Salisbury and Spencer, we think that the city should rise up,” Odrosky said. “And, as a taxpayer, I would welcome any conversation for a resolution of this.”

Another commenter — a teenager named Gabriela Fisher — cited a statistic that LGB youth contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth.

“And, I mean, imagine what the rate would be if LGBT were represented in a more positive light. And imagine how the gay youth of society would feel if a Pride float were represented in the Christmas parade,” Fisher said.

Levy said on Avita’s behalf that Avita will not participate in the parade again “until the organizers can guarantee a safe and respectful environment for all who wish to attend.”

“And on a personal note, I would like to say that no permits should be issued or taxpayer resources allocated for an event that blatantly discriminates and excludes certain groups of people,” Levy said.

Near the end of the meeting, Mayor Pro Tem David Post asked to make a comment about the situation.

“I wasn’t aware that Holiday Caravan is now. … It used to be managed by the Merchants Association of Salisbury and by the Jaycees,” Post said. “… I would like the city to kind of look into that and kind of see who runs it now.”

City Manager Lane Bailey then said that the previous council had spent nearly a year working on a special permits ordinance update that purposely makes sure “any organization” could put on events.

“I think if you want to regulate the speech of the folks that you’re having the events for, you’re getting on free speech rights there itself,” Bailey said.

Post said he just wants a report back on “alternative ways to manage this.”

“So we’re not paying or getting paid by — or however we’re doing it — an outside group. I’d like to have our fingerprints on it,” Post said.

Councilman Brian Miller asked Bailey if the city is directly contributing money to the parade. Bailey said that while the personnel costs to facilitate the parade are high, no direct contribution is made.

Councilwoman Tamara Sheffield said the city should start by having a conversation with Holiday Caravan organizers “about being inclusive and how we are not going to stand for any hate in our city.”

Miller said the special permits update that Bailey mentioned has not yet been passed. It was tabled at the Oct. 3 council meeting.

“But what this does bring up — now I didn’t envision it was going to be this issue of the current parade — is we have to fix our special permit parade ordinance,” Miller said.

Contact Jessica Coates at 704-797-4222.