Naples Pride Fest gets green light from City Council

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The Naples City Council voted to approve the permit for Naples Pride Fest at Cambier Park.

On Wednesday, over 50 people spoke during public comment.

Those against the event expressed concerns about drag shows and the presence of children, while supporters described Naples Pride Fest as a celebration of love, acceptance, inclusion, and unity.

WINK News reporter Annalise Iraola explained the result of their vote.

“I’m a Catholic. I am also a veteran. And I just want to be clear. I mean, what we’re talking about here is as men, dressing up like women and bringing children over to them and allowing them to stuff dollar bills and things like that,” one speaker said during public comment.

Another speaker highlighted the event’s purpose: “Naples Pride Day is a day for the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate achievements, promote visibility, pursue equality, and honor those who fought for LGBTQ+ rights.”

Naples City Council

A key issue discussed was the rising cost of security.

Naples Pride, which has held the event in the city since 2017, reported that security costs for this year’s event have increased by 200 to 300 percent compared to last year.

In response, the Naples Police Department released a statement addressing the security fees, saying, “Bottom line is that the hourly cost presented to the pride event organizers is the same hourly rate provided to all event coordinators of similar size/scope.

“Any claim that the costs presented to the pride organizers are disproportionate is patently false. The facts are that the cost is the cost, regardless of who the organizer is.”

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