Fringe political leader defends lynching, calling violence against LGBTQ+ Pride ‘acceptable’

A Florida fringe political leader praised lynching and called violence “acceptable” to stop LGBTQ+ Pride events during a Naples City Council meeting earlier this month, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The remarks, made by Cody Davis, chair of the Jeffersonian Party, have sparked concern and renewed fears of escalating anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric as Naples Pride continues to face opposition.

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Davis commented on January 13 during a public debate over Naples Pride’s permit application for its June festival. Referring to Pride as “the homosexual event,” Davis said, “The consensus of Americans for centuries was that lynching, when done correctly, is both completely lawful and appropriate.” He added that “lawful violence is acceptable” to oppose LGBTQ+ gatherings, framing his arguments as consistent with American legal traditions.

Related: These 24 violent extremist & anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy groups pose a danger to LGBTQ+ people

Southwest Florida NPR affiliate WGCU reports that the Naples City Council ultimately approved the permit on January 15 but imposed significant restrictions. While Naples Pride can hold its festival in Cambier Park, the council ruled that drag performances must occur indoors at the Norris Center, with entry restricted to individuals 18 and older. The decision followed five hours of public comments, during which opponents of Pride expressed anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments and accused the events of “grooming” children.

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SPLC, which tracks extremist groups, notes that Davis has a long history of anti-LGBTQ+ activism. In 2023, he protested Naples Pride alongside members of the far-right hate group Church Militant. Previously, Davis led Vote Men PAC, a political action committee that supported male candidates while rejecting female leadership. He dissolved the PAC in 2024 and rebranded it as the Jeffersonian Party, promoting pre-Civil War societal norms and state militias and rejecting modern concepts of equality and liberty.

Naples Pride organizers criticized the council’s restrictions as discriminatory. Executive director Cori Craciun told the council, “I wish our elected officials would focus on addressing the real needs of their constituents, instead of framing [this] as a way to protect children.” Craciun also noted that such policies unfairly stigmatize LGBTQ+ events and foster a hostile environment.