2023 Naples Pride Fest gets the green light from Naples City Council

Reporter: Taylor Wirtz Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:

A festival celebrating the LGBTQ community gets the green light from the Naples City Council.

The discussion ahead of the decision led to a packed house for Wednesday’s city council meeting, and things got heated.

People who oppose Naples Pride Fest went to Wednesday’s city council meeting believing it was a battle of one versus the other.

“As a parent of young children, I work so hard to protect what they see, what they hear. I shouldn’t have to check my calendar to take them to a park,” said a Naples resident during a public comment.

Pride Fest organizer Callhan Soldavini told me the event at Cambier Park is, first and foremost, a community fundraiser and a celebration of inclusion. “We want to make sure that there is a place in Naples, where children of all backgrounds of all ages, whether they identify with the LGBTQ community or not, have a place where they feel accepted.”

Much of the opposition to Naples Pride centered on the inclusion of drag shows, which opponents argued are inappropriate for children.

“I mean, I wouldn’t expect them to have a wet t-shirt contest down here at the park and find that appropriate, and anything that is indoctrinating our children and appropriate to them, I’m gonna stand up against,” said Naples resident Toddy Collins.

Naples Pride says all entertainment will be family-friendly.

“All of the performances you see are going to be the same thing you would see a middle schooler do on a cheerleading routine or a dancer. And these are very separate events from something you might see in a nightclub or a bottomless bunch show,” said Soldavini.

Parents supporting the event said it promotes a valuable message for all children.

“For all children, pride fest demonstrates that we as a community show acceptance toward our neighbors, our children are watching us and how we treat each other,” said a Naples resident during public comment.

Most of the council seemed to agree, voting five to two in favor of green-lighting this year’s Pride Fest.

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