08/21/2007
Christian Hate Groups Join With Anti-Gay Ft. Lauderdale Mayor
As Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle, and "religious leaders" from the newly-formed group healthypublicplaces.com held a news conference on the steps of City Hall to continue their hate-based fear-mongering regarding gay sex in public toilets, Michael Rajnor, a member of the Campaign to End AIDS, exploded in a vocal tirade aimed squarely at the mayor.
Shouted Rajnor: "He should be serving the people. He should be standing up for people. He should be fighting for funds for housing, for substance abuse, for vocational training. Who the hell do you people think you are?" (video)
In July, Naugle proposed installing a timed, $250,000 robotic toilet in Fort Lauderdale public restrooms. Naugle, who claims he uses the word "homosexuals" to describe gay men rather than "gay" because gay people "are unhappy," has said that an added plus to having the toilets is that they would keep gay people from using the facilities.
According to CBS4's Ted Scouten, "No one seems to be able to produce the stats proving all the gay sex in public. The mayor says there have been eight arrests over the past two years and the police department says there have been only two in three years."
Today, Naugle stood with Rev. O'Neal Dozier, who said: "We want the homosexual community to know that we love them and that God loves them also. But God hates the act of homosexuality."
Said Rajnor: "To have African-American members stand there while this mayor has disregarded the Sistrunk community in funding and not made certain initiatives go forth to help the African-American community, they're hypocrites to use the Bible."
Healthypublicplaces.com is basically a coalition of "ex-gay" and Christian right-wing hate groups masquerading as a community health organization. Those involved include Americans for Truth, Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, Christian Interactive Network, Concerned Women for America, Coral Ridge Ministries, Faith2Action, Stephen Bennett Ministries and the Worldwide Christian Center. (Download their press release here - PDF)
Background...
Fort Lauderdale Gay Businesses Concerned About Naugle Effect [tr]
Hundreds Rally Against Anti-Gay Fort Lauderdale Mayor Naugle [tr]
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Angers Gay Community Hours Before Rally [tr]
Flush Naugle: Gays in Fort Lauderdale Call on Mayor to Resign [tr]
Posted 3:24 PM EST by Andy Towle in "Ex-Gays", Fort Lauderdale, News, Religion | Permalink
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Seriously, how is this guy the mayor of FTL? Hasn't he been elected like 6 times or something??
Doesn't speak well of that community.
Posted by: ATLSteve | Aug 21, 2007 3:36:24 PM
I'm a 47 year old, white, southern born, Cali raised woman, straight, Christian, mom of two. You'd think they were aiming their ideals at me, assuming my "credentials" as listed are their target. Not so fast...honest to gawd, what a bunch of bigoted, neanderthaled, stuck in the dark, sad ass people these are. See, they deserve derision, deserve the fight, deserve whatever retribution will come their way, because they have bastardized what "love they neighbor" and Christian principles are about. What they propose is and profess to want to "protect" people from is nothing short of their own misguided fears and stupidity. They make me weep. And to think that man is in a position of power, as are those others who influence young minds with their intolerance. THIS is where the fight has to be, the fight for equality of life, and not just based on whom you love, the color of your skin, your religious affliation, your financial statement. True equality, to live as you wish, without fear. Assholes like this are the roadblocks to true human co-existance. Yep, a fight must be waged. I'm there.
Keep up the good work on informing, Andy, it's tough, no doubt, and depressing, but oh, so necessary.
Posted by: anne | Aug 21, 2007 3:46:32 PM
I wonder how much the robot toilets would cost? I hope whomever might run against this jackhole next election cycle brings up the overall costs of Robo Crapper 3000.
Bunch of loons. I'll be sure to never visit Ft. Lauderdale and I'll let the mayor know.
Posted by: Marco | Aug 21, 2007 3:51:49 PM
In 2003, O'Neal Dozier referred to HIV-AIDS as "a type of judgment for such a sin as this one, homosexuality." And here we have Naugle now trotting him out under the guise of actually helping with the AIDS crisis. This story has gone from nutty to downright insane!!
http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2007/08/what-was-fred-p.html
Posted by: G-A-Y | Aug 21, 2007 4:21:22 PM
this is nothing but gay-baiting. the shit-for-brains mayor picked a fight where none existed, and now he's got all the religious loons involved in this non-issue. what a tool. i'll have to find out where to send a donation to his next opponent.
Posted by: nic | Aug 21, 2007 4:33:27 PM
Anne rocks. We need more like her.
Naugle sucks. And not in the good way. But is anyone surprised that the evangelicals are piling on the bandwagon? Of course they are. Naugle is no fool... he knows that the only people you can manipulate into the polls are the christianist conservatives... they're so gullible all you have to do is tell them there's a gay menace or an immigrant threat and all of a sudden they're at your rally holding signs and signing checks.
Posted by: Brian | Aug 21, 2007 4:49:04 PM
i just found out this idiot will need to leave office in 2009 because of term limits. i'm sure sane people in ft. lauderdale will be glad to be rid of him.
Posted by: nic | Aug 21, 2007 4:55:25 PM
Anne thanks for the love, and recieve some love back from us here at towleroad. :-)
Posted by: anon | Aug 21, 2007 4:56:02 PM
The next time you hear them claim to love homo's, but hate homosexuality, think of them saying this...
"We love left handed people, we just hate the act of them writing with their left hand"
Or
"We love the jewish people, we just hate that they don't accept Jesus Christ as their 'saviour'"
Or
"We love black people, we just hate they choose to have that dark skin"
Posted by: Rucka | Aug 21, 2007 4:57:24 PM
Naugle is a Democrat, at least in name. He has been mayor of Fort Lauderdale forever. He's not facing re-election as he is term limited out of office soon. Large sections of Lauderdale are very right wing conservative Christians. James Kennedy, the hate monger homophobic minister has his Coral Ridge Church there.
The gay community occupies and area known as Wilton Manors. Once a slum it was reinvigorated by the gay community and became a gay mecca for business, housing and entertainment. Lately, that's changing as more and more "straights" are moving into the area and gays are being squeezed out. More and more straights are jamming into the gay bars and clubs and there have been fights and harassment of gays.
Naugle wants the gay element out of Lauderdale and opposed efforts to advertise Ft. Lauderdale as a gay friendly vacation spot. Naugle and his conservative and religious supporters successfully killed Lauderdale as a Spring Break destination. Naugle wants Lauderdale to become a WASP Christian family vacation paradise. Unfortunately, WASP Christian families seldom make it south of Disney World/Universal at Orlando. Aside from clubs, bars and beach, Lauderdale has little to offer the "nuclear family".
If the gay community boycotts or abandons Lauderdale the area will be dead economically. But then, there's always the Log Cabin Republicans...
Posted by: Tom | Aug 21, 2007 5:18:40 PM
Naugle is a Democrat, at least in name. He has been mayor of Fort Lauderdale forever. He's not facing re-election as he is term limited out of office soon. Large sections of Lauderdale are very right wing conservative Christians. James Kennedy, the hate monger homophobic minister has his Coral Ridge Church there.
The gay community occupies and area known as Wilton Manors. Once a slum it was reinvigorated by the gay community and became a gay mecca for business, housing and entertainment. Lately, that's changing as more and more "straights" are moving into the area and gays are being squeezed out. More and more straights are jamming into the gay bars and clubs and there have been fights and harassment of gays.
Naugle wants the gay element out of Lauderdale and opposed efforts to advertise Ft. Lauderdale as a gay friendly vacation spot. Naugle and his conservative and religious supporters successfully killed Lauderdale as a Spring Break destination. Naugle wants Lauderdale to become a WASP Christian family vacation paradise. Unfortunately, WASP Christian families seldom make it south of Disney World/Universal at Orlando. Aside from clubs, bars and beach, Lauderdale has little to offer the "nuclear family".
If the gay community boycotts or abandons Lauderdale the area will be dead economically. But then, there's always the Log Cabin Republicans...
Posted by: Tom | Aug 21, 2007 5:20:02 PM
My partner and I were thinking of buying a condo in Ft L as a vacation home. After reading several stories about the Mayors attitude toward the gay community we have put off the idea of buying there or even visting there during the remainder of his term in office. We are also advising all of our friends in Toronto to look elsewhere for vacations. There are other communities that welcome the gay community and the money we put into the local economy.
Posted by: NIcholas | Aug 21, 2007 5:43:53 PM
In the early American colonies, homosexuality was a capital offense - and God blessed America above all nations. Today homosexuality is consider by many to be "good" and even "normal" so don't be surprised if God will be forced to ----- America! Bruce
Posted by: Bruce Rockwell | Aug 21, 2007 5:49:04 PM
Um, Bruce, dear, did mommy let you use the computer again? See, adults like to use adult words. Only little kids type out dashes instead of what they mean.
Then again, someone who believes in a mythical sky being willing judgement down on us probably has bigger problems.
Posted by: Tread | Aug 21, 2007 6:06:05 PM
bruce,
you don't rock well. you don't even rock. go away. wtf are you doing on this blog?
Posted by: nic | Aug 21, 2007 6:25:45 PM
I'm torn about visiting Lauderdale. I've been many times in the past and have had a great time. But I don't want to patronize a town that embraces hostility towards me.
Then again, I also don't want to punish gay business owners because of a political bigot. And if gays stay away from Lauderdale, then the mayor basically gets what he wants.
It's a conundrum.
Posted by: Gregg | Aug 21, 2007 6:55:28 PM
The Rovian tactic of pitting minority against minority is working like a charm. When leaders in the African-American community attack the gay community and when people in the gay community attack African-Americans (as happens far too often in the discussions on this site) NO ONE wins EXCEPT racist homophobes.
When these racist homophobes see us at each others throats they couldn't be happier because they know that if we don't wise up to the "divide and conquer" tactics we will destroy ourselves without them having to lift a finger.
I would encourage my gay brothers and sisters to avoid being drug into race vs. orientation wars.
Hopefully the African-American community can be encouraged to do the same.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 21, 2007 7:04:15 PM
Make that "dragged" into race vs. orientation wars.
Posted by: Zekex | Aug 21, 2007 7:06:45 PM
Oh, and to Bruce the historical revisionist:
In the early American colonies, slavery was common, even on the plantations of some of the founding fathers - and God blessed America above all nations.
What are we to make of that?
Oh, and could you provide a reference to back up your claim that homosexuality was a capital offense in the early American colonies?
People like you love to pull "facts" out of your ass in the hopes that no one will ask for proof of your claims. Bill O'Reilly has made millions doing it.
Well, I'm askin'.
Posted by: Zeke | Aug 21, 2007 7:37:00 PM
I think I need to remind everyone that when this story first broke, many queens on here were supporting the mayor and saying that he wasn't homophobic, just against that "filthy" and apparently rampant trend of sex in the bathroom.
Still supporting the mayor, my friends?
Posted by: jmg | Aug 21, 2007 8:14:05 PM
Dumb black reverends should worry about beasts like Michael Vick and their own crime rate instead of joining with Demokkrats against civilized homosexuals (who, unlike them, restore houses. They don't destroy them).
Posted by: Joe T. | Aug 21, 2007 8:17:57 PM
Fuck Florida, I'd rather spend my money where I'm wanted: Palm Springs!
Posted by: the queen | Aug 21, 2007 8:34:40 PM
I'm curious: has anyone suggested to the mayor that he support the opening of a new, publicly funded bath-house? That way he can get the sex off the streets, AND demand that people engage in safe sex in safe places. I wonder how that would go over.
Posted by: Jordan | Aug 21, 2007 9:41:49 PM
So far, the entire Broward County Commission (the county where Ft. Lauderdale is located) have all signed a letter to be sent to gay-oriented travel agencies and websites that denounce our so-called mayor's comments. Nice gesture, sort-of, since it was a move that would allow them to say to the Gay Community, "See, we support you" but not really be on public record (or at least not in the public eye) for saying it (as they would have been if they had all voted to censure him or even made a proclamation that the county doesn't endorse such sentiments). Anyway, the intent was to make-nice to the many gay guesthouses in the area and gay bar owners and other businesses (who have made significant inroads with the folks at the county's Visitor's and Convention Bureau who love the gays when they come here and spend money), local businesses which will indeed be hurt if too many people stay away from here, and to try to mitigate the damage at least within the gay press. Just far too much political posturing going on to make me happy. But yes, the person who posted previously is correct: if the gay tourists stay away, the only people who will be hurt are the local gay businesses and it won't bother Naugle one bit. In fact, he'd probably be tickled pink (no pun intended) if his comments caused a few of the local gay-owned businesses to go belly-up. That would just be gravy for him and his efforts.
Posted by: JWSwift | Aug 21, 2007 10:36:21 PM
P.S. Last I heard, he's not single, but the reporter Ted Scouten that was mentioned in the article above is openly gay and a real cutie!
Posted by: JWSwift | Aug 21, 2007 10:38:36 PM