In a dramatic turn, just one day before Naples’ eighth annual Pride Fest on Saturday, a federal appeals court ruling forced a major change to the weekend’s programming. A scheduled outdoor drag performance, previously greenlit by a federal judge, was ordered indoors after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a last-minute decision late Friday.
The panel stayed an earlier injunction, allowing the City of Naples to enforce restrictions that limit drag performances to adults only and require them to be held indoors. The drag show was moved to the Norris Center near Cambier Park. The city maintains that its decision was about safety, not content, and the court’s majority agreed. However, one judge dissented, arguing that the decision violates First Amendment rights. The festival still offered live music, family programming, and vendors at Cambier Park.
Naples Pride Board Member Callhan Soldavini affirmed, “Today is all about preparations, and we’re really excited for this year’s Naples Pride Fest, because no matter how loud the fear or the noise gets, the heart of this event hasn’t changed since we started in 2017. And it’s still about love, visibility, joy, and showing up for one another.”
Despite legal hurdles and opposition, Naples Pride Fest continued through Sunday, celebrating LGBTQ resilience in the face of ongoing political pressure.
