Big crowds follow Southwest Florida pride to new location

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—Thousands of people packed downtown Fort Myers for a new era of Southwest Florida pride. 

This is the first year non-profit Visuality organized the event. It moved the celebration from Alliance for the Arts off McGregor Boulevard to the heart of downtown Fort Myers to be more inclusive - and be on a bigger stage, according to Alex Cahill, executive director of Visuality. 

“It’s a protest,” Cahill said. “A peaceful way to just show love and inclusion and really just be a safe space for people to be themselves, authentically be accepted.”

Despite the heat, people were in a festive mood as colorful drag performers took the stage in front of the Sydney & Berne Davis Arts Center in downtown. Before one performance, the loudspeakers played a compilation of news reports and speeches denouncing drag performances. 

It’s been a source of controversy at other Southwest Florida pride celebrations. 

Naples required PrideFest to hold it’s drag performance indoors and limited audience members to adults. The city cited security concerns but the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued Naples on behalf of organizers, said it’s part of a broader campaign to suppress drag shows in violation of the First Amendment. 

Cahill estimated around 2,000 people showed up on Saturday as dozens of vendors lined downtown streets. That includes the Rev. Craig Cranston of St. John the Apostle Metropolitan Community Church in Fort Myers. Cranston said he’s attended Fort Myers pride events for the last 15 years to show support for the LGBTQ community. 

“Because there are so many spaces where people, LGBTQ people, are told God cannot love them,” Cranston said. “And we’re going to stand here and proudly and loudly proclaim, God loves everyone."

A handful of protesters stood in the middle of the festival and held signs condemning LGBTQ people. Several people jokingly took photos with them as the party continued. Despite the heat, throngs of people celebrated into the night. 

Several teenage Arts Bonita actors promoted their performance of The Laramie Project. It's a play that documents the story of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay college student who was murdered in Wyoming almost 30 years ago. 

“It’s a show about humanity and compassion,” said Naomi Hope Muradaz, one of the actors. “Accepting people for who they are and loving them for who they are.” 

Arts Bonita will host a performance of the Laramie Project at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. The actors said former Albany County Sheriff Dave O’Malley, who was the lead investigator on the case, will attend the show. 

Connor Devall, another actor in the show, said it was beautiful to see the community come together on Saturday. 

The festival wrapped up at 10:00 p.m., followed by a dance party on the roof of the Sydney & Berne Davis Arts Center. 

“We’re celebrating everything that we’ve gone through and living life the best we can,” said Sofia Coppola, who attended Pride with her girlfriend, Morgan Anderson. “At the end of the day, it’s pride. You have to be here."