Dangerous rhetoric is brewing in Naples Collier County on Florida’s West Coast. A far-right political figure in Florida openly defended lynching and called violence “acceptable” to stop Naples Pride during this week’s city council meeting. Cody Davis, leader of the Jeffersonian Party, claimed early U.S. laws endorsed execution for homosexuality. He labeled LGBTQ+ Pride “savage behavior” and cited Thomas Jefferson while arguing that lawful violence was embedded in American tradition.
He said, “The consensus of Americans for centuries was that lynching, when done correctly, is both completely lawful and appropriate.” No council members responded immediately, but two days later, responding to the threat against Naples Pride, the Naples’ police chief said, “It’s a real threat, and we take it real.” Davis’s political party evolved from Vote Men PAC, a group pushing male-only leadership.
He has met with Republican figures, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Davis has previously protested Naples Pride with members of the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Church Militant. Southern Poverty Law Center has indicated Davis and his affiliate organizations should be viewed as a hate group.
Despite Davis’s rhetoric, Naples Pride remains scheduled for June. LGBTQ advocates are calling for city leaders to denounce his threats and ensure community safety. The city council has currently not made any statements. Naples sits 90 miles west of Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale and is the first city you come to in the connection of I-75 between Broward County and Collier County.
