Op-Ed: City Council in Naples, Florida Kowtows & Allows Drag Queens in Public Park for “Family Friendly” Pride Fest in June

By Melissa Martin, Ph.D. Last updated Mar 2, 2023 Share with new partner:

“When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.” – C.S. Lewis

PORTSMOUTH, OH – Members of the city council in Naples, Florida met on Feb. 15, 2023 to discuss whether drag queens would be allowed to perform at the annual “family friendly” Pride event. Resident for and against showed up for the meeting. Albeit, the Naples City Council postponed their vote until the next meeting in March.

Read my previous column here: Naples, Florida Should Ban Drag Queen Performers from Annual “Family Friendly” Pride Event

According to NBC2 News, “More than fifteen hundred residents showed out to the Naples City Council meeting to voice their support for and against the Naples Pride Festival. After taking public comments from nearly 100 speakers, the council voted 5-to-2 to allow the festival to continue taking place.”

Hmmm. My understanding from reading previous news articles: The issue is drag queens being in a public park with children in attendance – not canceling the Pride event. Radical LGBTQ members will put whatever spin on an issue to further the mixing of drag queens and children. And to push entitlement.

NBC2 excerpts:

Those that opposed the event believe the drag shows that the festival hosts are inappropriate, especially for young children. Many also told NBC2 News they are unhappy with the proximity to the playground at Cambier Park.

“I just couldn’t allow this to happen in any city, but we live here,” said Marco Island resident Joe Alger. “The things they do at these drag queen shows and what they did here at the park for this supposed family-friendly event was abhorrent.”

“They had children putting dollar bills in these other men’s underwear,” Alger added. “Any sane person would have to come out. In the name of sanity, I would have to say this is not where I want this community to go.”

“If I was to walk down the street in my underpants, I guarantee you I’d be in jail. I don’t think children should be exposed to this, said Naples resident James Rosenberger. “I hope the City Council has the wisdom to make the right choice. The crowd today has strong support for the position we are taking. It’s not that we don’t want the show. I just don’t think it’s appropriate to be held on city property, that’s all.”

I’m glad the rational residents of Naples stood up for children. Kudos for their courage.

Most residents opposed to the event were concerned that children playing at the Cambier playground would be able to see drag performers, which they deemed as inappropriate content.

Several options were available: alternative locations on private property, put the drag queens in an indoor adult space away from children, or put a temporary large-scale fence surrounding the event.

But the elected officials caved… The mayor and city council of Naples include:

Naples Daily News excerpts:

Councilmembers Paul Perry, Beth Petrunoff, and Raymond Christman voted in favor of letting Pride Fest use Cambier Park for the celebration, along with Mayor Teresa Heitmann and Vice Mayor Mike McCabe.

Councilmembers Terry Hutchison and Ted Blankenship voted against the use of the park, stating a children’s park is not the place for a drag show.

Here’s the deal: Two elected council members deserve respect and reelection. The others need to be voted out of office.

Children rights are human rights.

Due to the Libs of TikTok exposing multiple video clips of drag queens wearing thongs and pasties while twerking and jerking or simulating sexual acts in front of children, I hope the drag queens at the Naples Pride event cover up their male parts with clothing. If not, I’m sure the videos will show up on social media.

Special LBGTQ Treatment in Florida

The Miami Police Department conducts law enforcement activities in a vehicle wrapped in rainbow colors plus “Pride” and “LGBTQ+” messaging. Is that equality under the law?

I don’t see a heterosexual cop car or a Latino cop car or a Buddha cop car in Miami. Therefore, a gay cop car is not equality under the law.

Miami has a painted rainbow crosswalk on the streets for LGBTQ visibility and pride. Again, is there a heterosexual or Latino or Buddha crosswalk? That’s special treatment.

Permanent rainbow crosswalks came to Key West in 2015, at Duval and Petronia streets.

South Beach’s 12th Street Beach, Miami Beach: “Just look for the rainbow flags flying amid the rental chairs and lifeguard stations. The most popular gay beach in Miami is mostly a hangout for men, but you’ll also find lesbians and straights soaking up the sun with locals.”

Why does the LGBTQ community get their own public beach? Is that equality under the law?

I don’t want to hear drag queens, the LGBTQ community or trans activists nattering about Gov. Ron DeSantis unless they’re willing to give up their public painted sidewalks, public beaches, rainbow flags in public places, and their gay cop car funded by taxpayers.

Let me clarify:

I have gay friends and colleagues.

I am against any minority or individual being threatened, bullied, or harassed for any reason.

As a child activist, my goal is defending and protecting children from indoctrination, grooming, and sexualization by heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or transsexual males and females.

I support peaceful protests against events that invite children to attend or participate in drag queen adult entertainment or performances at public libraries, schools, parks.

Gender ideology is an unscientific theory with no foundation of valid or reliable research. There are only two sexes: male and female. Disputing factual biology, anatomy, physiology, and genetics is a propaganda tactic of the transgender cult movement. Exposing children to a fairy tale fallacy is mentally, socially, culturally, and sexually unhealthy.

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.”

—Mahatma Gandhi