All photos by Jason DeShazo
A Neo-Nazi group of men carrying Nazi flags and performing Hitler salutes protested Saturday night in Lakeland outside an event that featured drag performances.
Jason DeShazo, who organized the event and performs as the drag queen Momma Ashley Rose, shared photos and videos from the event, “A Celebration of the Arts,” held at ART/Ifact Studios, just north of downtown Lakeland.
DeShazo, a gay man, has been performing in drag as Momma Ashley Rose for more than 20 years.
Momma Ashley Rose is an Entertainer, Female Impersonator, and Motivational Speaker. She has spent many years speaking in public venues, performing in churches, for special events and charity organizations, on college campuses, and in bars and clubs. She has helped raise money for LGBTQ youth centers, HIV awareness, food pantries, homeless outreaches, and other community events.
Momma Ashley Rose, first and foremost, has a passion to love all people while educating them on acceptance and equality. She believes that the teachings of Jesus are important to love God and to love your neighbors. It’s important for everyone to know they are Loved, Accepted, and Wanted. God loves them and so does she.
The Neo-Nazi group of men wearing black pants and red shirts held a banner that proclaimed in all capitals, “Drag queens are pedophiles with AIDS.” The group, most of them concealing their faces behind masks, also displayed a sign that showed the Jewish Star of David, the equal sign, and the Soviet hammer and sickle.
DeShazo said that he heard some of the protesters yelling, “Heil Hitler!”
DeShazo said members of the performing group called the Lakeland Police Department, and about 15 officers came to the location.
LPD spokesperson Robin Tillett said that officers responded to a call at 5:16 p.m. Saturday reporting a group of protesters outside the facility. Officers spoke to an event organizer and to a representative of the protesters, Tillett said.
“The representative from the protesting group advised they were not Lakeland residents and said they were there to protest an event occurring at the location,” Tillett said. “Officers advised the representative of the rules outlined in the Florida state statutes and municipal ordinances, with which the group complied.”
Officers documented a response for service and continued to monitor the situation until protesters left about 7:30 p.m., Tillett said. No one was arrested.
“When responding to calls involving protestors, our officers are there to ensure the safety and security of those at the event while also ensuring those demonstrating are allowed to protest and exercise their First Amendment rights permitted by law,” Tillett said.
DeShazo, in a statement, said he was “saddened and alarmed at the presence of Nazis protesting our event.”
“The moment I was informed, we immediately took action on how to keep everyone safe,” DeShazo wrote. “Lakeland Police Department showed up quickly to ensure the safety of our venue. They had several officers visibly patrolling the perimeter, making sure that our doors were locked and secured. The protesters, while holding Nazi flags, were yelling slurs at both adults and children while video recording, holding offensive signs, and projecting inappropriate content onto the side of the building all while concealing their faces. The police did their very best and kept them away from our community.”
DeShazo said that the event proceeded despite the protest and generated $2,500 to benefit his charity, Rose Dynasty Foundation, and Camp Out, a nonprofit that hosts summer camps for LGBTQ-plus youth.
Pro LGBTQ Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz would not offer any comment.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks right-wing extremists, lists Will2Rise, a white nationalist organization, as having a presence in Lakeland.
ADL, a Jewish organization formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League, reported earlier this year that extremist-related incidents rose by 71% in Florida from 2020 to 2021. The group documented more than 20 incidents in Polk County since 2016.