Florida City’s Outdoor Drag Show Ban Nixed by Federal Court (1)

The city of Naples, Fla. can’t push an annual drag show indoors and prohibit minor attendees despite concerns over threats of violence to the performance and “compatible” community character, a federal district court ruled Monday.

The Naples City Council’s decision to deny permits for an annual drag show at a local park and assess the group a $30,000 security fee appears to violate event organizer Naples Pride’s First Amendment right to free expression, US District Court for the Middle District of Florida Judge John E. Steele said.

The decision pushes back against the city counsel’s power to broadly define both ...