(This story has been updated with new information.)
Just hours before Naples Pride was set to go with an outdoors drag show performance in the city’s Cambier Park, a federal court ruled against Pride’s plan, forcing it to move the performance indoors.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta on June 6 granted the city of Naples’ motion to stay a preliminary injunction that District Judge John Steele granted last month in Fort Myers.
Naples Pride in April filed a federal lawsuit against the city after officials denied a permit to allow it to present the 2025 Pride Fest drag show, one of its main moneymakers, outdoors.
On May 12, in a 49-page order, Steele referred to the city’s permitting restrictions as “clearly invalid” under the First Amendment.
In his order, Steele granted the preliminary injunction in part, saying Naples Pride’s drag performance is protected speech.
Naples Pride Fest and drag show will go on
Pride Fest will go on, but its organizers were not happy with the latest ruling and the restrictions it carries.
“The court’s decision goes against generations of legal precedent holding that the government cannot restrict speech just because those who don’t like that speech may break the law,” said Jonah Knobler, an attorney representing Naples Pride. “We respect the court, but we strongly disagree with what it did here. This isn’t the end of the legal road — or the fight for free expression in Florida.”
The city, as well as several Collier County residents, appealed Steele’s decision, but the federal judge ruled against their calls for a reconsideration. The city on May 22 appealed Steele’s rulings to the District Court of Appeals.
The appeals court’s ruling forces Naples Pride to hold its drag show indoors. Callhan Soldavini, an attorney and board member for Naples Pride, confirmed three drag shows will happen indoors at the Norris Center, 755 8th Ave S.
Soldavini said organizers will not charge for tickets, and added they will be donation-based. She said they are working on specific times for the performances.
“By granting the city’s request on the preliminary injunction, the Court pauses a thorough 49-page lower court ruling that clearly found Naples’ restrictions infringed on free speech, and barred the city from enforcing them. Despite this ruling, our lawsuit continues,” Soldavini wrote. “We’ll comply with the restrictions — but we won’t be quiet about what this means.”
Naples Pride’s Pride Fest is scheduled for June 7 at Cambier Park. The event will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.
“Naples Pride will not be substantially injured by a stay because it can hold the drag performance under the same two permit conditions that applied to the last two performances, in 2023 and 2024,” the appeals court ruling reads in part.
In his initial order, Steele also concluded that Cambier Park and its bandshell are both traditional public forums, where freedom of speech is most protected, allowing individuals to express their opinions and ideas without government interference.
In an emailed statement in the afternoon on June 6, the city said the new ruling allows the city “to enforce its ordinance as it has been done for the past two years, while the litigation proceeds in the lower court.”
“In a detailed order, the Eleventh Circuit agreed that the City made a substantial showing on the merits of its case and emphasized that the event in question likely qualified as a limited public forum. The Court further held that the permit conditions did not constitute unlawful viewpoint discrimination and were reasonable in light of the forum’s purpose and public safety considerations,” the city’s statement reads in part.
Naples police: Robust security plan in place for Pride Fest
In a June 4 Facebook post, Naples Police asked that everyone in attendance remain civil, cooperative and respectful.
The Naples Police security plan was developed in partnership with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and supported by Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the department said in a news release.
Several road closures implemented by police began 1 a.m. June 6 and will extend through approximately 6 p.m. June 7 — about two hours after Pride Fest concludes.
To ensure the safety of attendees at Pride Fest, Naples Police said, the police department will implement temporary road closures affecting Park Street between Cambier Parkway and Seventh Avenue South, Eighth Street South between Cambier Parkway and Seventh Avenue South, and Cambier Parkway between Park Street and Eighth Street South.
Vehicles parked in the area past 1 a.m. June 6 will be towed, police said, adding that they will post barricades, signs and message boards to notify drivers.
“A welcome development”: Advocate for disabled people reacts to ruling
In a statement, Darren Aquino, CEO of Advocates for Disabled Americans, who filed a federal lawsuit of his own in an attempt to push the drag show indoors, said: “The Eleventh Circuit’s decision to grant the City of Naples’ motion for stay – while notably limited in scope – is nonetheless a welcome development.”
In his lawsuit, filed May 29, he sued the city, but not the event organizers, saying it had failed to protect disabled children, and had not considered their rights.
“While the city’s motion focused narrowly on potential irreparable harm and made no reference to disabled children or vulnerable individuals, our position remains firm: We have never sought to stop any group from exercising their First Amendment rights. Rather our intent is – and always has been – to ensure content appropriate to location, especially when public spaces are shared with disabled children, veterans, and adults with cognitive or emotional impairments.”
As part of his suit, Aquino sought an emergency restraining order to stop the outdoor event, as planned by Naples Pride. On June 3, the court denied his request.
“We are not seeking to ban events,” he said. “We are demanding sensible, lawful boundaries that protect public safety and access. Events with adult themes should be held in clearly marked, adult-designated spaces.”
He said he’ll continue to pursue his lawsuit against the city, under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Our objective remains unchanged: To ensure that the City of Naples becomes a national model for disability-inclusive policy, not a cautionary tale of avoidable exclusion,” he said.
Naples Daily News reporter Laura Layden contributed to this report.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples Pride Fest drag shows to move indoors after last-minute appeals court ruling
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
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