Celebration Church moving out of AISD space after year of protests
AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a literal separation of church and state, the controversial church that had been renting space from Austin ISD is moving out.
For almost a year, protesters demonstrated outside the AISD Performing Arts Center when Celebration Church booked the space, saying they didn’t think the district should do business with Celebration because of the church’s opposition to gay marriage and homosexuality.
Protesters say the church’s stance contradicted AISD’s commitment to inclusivity.
In a recent statement, leaders with celebration church say they’ve grown enough they can buy a building in the Koenig Lane area.
On Sunday, protestors held a party at the Bartholomew Municipal Pool in celebration of the church leaving.
In the past, AISD looked into whether they had the authority to deny renting to certain outside groups. They even had the Attorney General’s office weigh in on the issue.
Basically, AISD’s policy is that either all outside groups can rent a facility, or none can.