Naples City Hall debates Cambier Park's Pride festival and legal challenges

Cambier Park, usually a serene spot in Naples for sitting, biking, or walking the dog, turns into a focal point of debate once a year. The cause of this annual controversy is the Naples Pride festival, scheduled to take place in April. 

"This is not about hate. It is about constitutional boundaries, intent and our responsibility to protect children," said Linda Spano, a Naples neighbor, during a public comment session.

Supporters of the event argue that it is about freedom of speech and expression in public spaces. 

Naples Pride is set to take over Cambier Park in April. But with a federal lawsuit still hanging… that festival became the hot topic down the street at City Hall.

Therese Malone, another Naples resident, expressed her concerns by stating, "Only 21 and older should be allowed to come in at free will," adding that hosting such an event in public is "almost insanity."

The debate extended beyond the council chambers, with community members voicing their opinions both inside and outside the meeting.

"It's shocking that we would even be having a conversation honestly about sexually themed performances and a sexual agenda in a park with children," said John Strand, a GOP congressional candidate.

Naples Pride responded with a statement asserting their respect for the legal process while standing firm in their belief that drag performances are protected speech. They emphasized that their shows have always been family-friendly and vowed to defend this stance in court.

"Naples Pride respects Naples City Council’s process, but history shows that when governments overstep and police art and expression, democracy suffers. Naples deserves to be on the right side of the Constitution and of freedom," the statement said. "Drag is protected speech. It is art, performance, and storytelling, protected under the First Amendment just like other expressive works including theater or dance. Naples Pride has hosted family-friendly drag shows in Cambier Park at its annual Pride Festival for years. The recent attempt to portray drag as dangerous reflects misconceptions, not reality — there is no evidence that our shows have harmed anyone. We are not asking people to love drag, or even to attend our drag shows. We are simply asking that no one be stripped of their constitutional rights because their art is colorful or queer— or because someone happens to dislike it. Naples Pride will continue to defend these freedoms in court for as long as it takes, because we know the Constitution is on our side, and we know that a ruling affirming these rights is not just possible, but inevitable."

Following the public comments, the city council entered a closed session to discuss the ongoing lawsuit and this year's event. No decision has been made about the festival's future.

Both parties involved in the lawsuit are required to submit evidence by July, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for early 2027.