Thu May 29 11:40:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

A federal judge has reaffirmed his decision to block the city of Naples, Florida from imposing restrictions on a drag show planned as part of the upcoming LGBTQ “Pridefest.” The judge initially issued a preliminary injunction against the city’s limitations, arguing they likely violated First Amendment rights. The city appealed and requested a stay of the injunction, but the judge denied this request, allowing the drag show to proceed as planned. The judge emphasized that the proposed restrictions on location and age were unconstitutional and that the city did not dispute the show was “family-friendly.” The ruling follows a similar decision by an appellate court regarding a Florida law targeting children at drag shows.

**News Article:**

**Judge Upholds Injunction Against Naples Drag Show Restrictions, Citing First Amendment**

NAPLES, FL – A federal judge has once again sided with LGBTQ advocacy group Naples Pride, refusing to stay a preliminary injunction against the city of Naples’ attempts to restrict a drag show scheduled for its upcoming “Pridefest” event. U.S. District Judge John Steele, who initially blocked the city’s restrictions on May 12, rejected Naples’ request to halt his ruling while the city appeals.

The judge’s decision effectively allows the drag show to proceed as planned in Cambier Park on June 7th, 2025. Naples Pride filed the lawsuit in response to restrictions requiring the show to be held indoors with a 200-person capacity and barring minors from attending.

Judge Steele reiterated his stance that the city’s restrictions likely violate the First Amendment. He noted that Cambier Park is a “traditional public forum,” affording the highest level of speech protection. Even if the park were considered a limited public forum, Steele argued the restrictions were neither content nor viewpoint neutral.

Notably, the judge pointed out that the city did not dispute claims that the drag show would be “family-friendly.”

The ruling comes as the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a preliminary injunction against a separate Florida law, passed in 2023, that aimed to restrict children’s access to drag performances. This latest decision reinforces the legal challenges to recent state and local efforts to regulate drag shows in Florida.

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