This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A fight to protect children in Florida from an "obscene LGBTQ performance" in a public location that is only feet away from a children's playground is ramping up.
Liberty Counsel earlier filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case Naples Pride V. City of Naples, in which the LGBT organization demanded the right to impose its ideology on children in a public park.
Now Liberty Counsel says the city has neglected to raise a legitimate defense to the attack by the LGBT organization, and it wants to join the case.
It is representing concerned Collier County parents against the planned "sexually explicit drag show" at the children's play area.
The legal team has addressed the court, explaining the city did not raise the defense that Florida's "Protection of Children Act" of 2023 expressly outlaws public drag shows held in view of minors. "Allowing a drag performance in open air and in full view of a busy children's playground would violate Florida law," Liberty Counsel reported.
A federal judge narrowly blocked that law for a single Florida agency, but that's under appeal and does not erase the law itself.
"The state of Florida recognizes that children – and their parents, by extension – have a legally protectible interest in the material they are exposed to as well as having safe parks and playgrounds," the legal team explained.
Naples Pride calls its drag show "family friendly," but photographic evidence of similar events confirm that the show involves "male performers in obscene drag performing lewd poses and simulating sexual acts that are unsuitable for minors. The drag performers also invited children to place money in their waist bands like strippers in a bar as the men shook their over-stuffed brazier tops and 'twerked' their fish net covered hind ends mimicking sexual activities no child should ever see."
Liberty Counsel said, "The scenes are revolting and totally inappropriate for children."
"The city of Naples has demonstrated an aversion to broaching the issue of obscenity, lewdness, or harm to minors posed by the proposed drag performance in view of children altogether," wrote Liberty Counsel. "For some inexplicable reason, the city has refused to even suggest, much less forcefully defend itself on the constitutional grounds that [Naples Pride's] grossly inappropriate sexualized performances are only afforded limited (if any) protection under the First Amendment, and whatever protection may exist is eviscerated when considered in the context of exposure to children."
Even though it filed a brief in the case earlier, Liberty Counsel now is seeking to be granted "party status" in the fight.
The city council earlier ordered that the event be held indoors and away from children, but the LGBT crowd demanded that it be allowed to put on its display near the children's park.
The city previously argued the park is subject to location and age restrictions for events.
Liberty Counsel chief Mat Staver explained, "Liberty Counsel is intervening in this case to give parents who wish to protect their children from obscene drag performances a fuller defense on the legal and constitutional issues left unspoken by the city of Naples. The First Amendment does not protect an obscene drag performance in full view of a children's playground, and Florida law outright bans it. Restricting speech for children that is otherwise protected for adults passes constitutional muster in the interest of protecting their well-being. Citizens do not have to tolerate obscene drag shows in view of their children."
