A federal judge has denied the City of Naples’ attempt to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the city’s censorship of drag performances in a Naples park.
The lawsuit was brought by Naples Pride, a local nonprofit supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Southwest Florida, after the Naples City Council imposed burdens on the organization’s family-friendly drag performance as part of their annual Pridefest — including indoors-only and adults-only restrictions as well as an exorbitant security fee exceeding $30,000.
“This ruling is a positive development for Naples Pride and for everyone who believes in free speech,” said Samantha Past, staff attorney at the ACLU of Florida. “The City’s unsuccessful efforts to dismiss this case means that they will have to answer for their unlawful actions. We look forward to defending Naples Pride and the broader LGBTQ+ community's right to express themselves without discrimination, and we’ll see the City in court.”
Naples Pride filed suit in April 2025 after the City imposed numerous unconstitutional restrictions on Naples Pride’s annual Pride events – restrictions not imposed on any other events.
“The Court’s thoughtful opinion makes clear that contrived ‘public safety’ concerns are not an excuse to discriminate against viewpoints the City doesn’t like,” said Jonah Knobler, counsel for Naples Pride and a partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. “We welcome this decision and look forward to the next phase of this case, where we expect to uncover and present even more evidence of the City’s unconstitutional conduct.”
The decision comes as the Naples City Council prepares for an upcoming meeting on January 21, where officials are expected to discuss Naples Pride’s special event permit application for their 2026 Pridefest.
“This case has always been about fairness — making sure Pridefest is treated like any other community event, without special hurdles or selective enforcement,” said Callhan Soldavini, Board Member and In-House Counsel, Naples Pride. “Naples Pride should not have to go to court just to be treated equally, and this ruling moves us closer to that. It sends a clear message that discrimination and censorship have no place in our parks or our public life, and we’ll keep fighting for the freedom to celebrate safely and openly.”
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