Ft. Lauderdale Tourism to Mayor: It has to Stop

Timothy Kincaid

August 23rd, 2007

Mayor Jim Naugle has been on a campaign to demonize gay folk and make them unwelcome in his city.  His interview with Bill O’Reilly made that clear to anyone who still harbored doubts:

O’REILLY: All right. Now there is a large gay community in Fort Lauderdale and a large gay tourism industry there, as well. And the community — not all of them, but some of them have said that you’re just anti-gay, that you’re homophobic, that you don’t like them, you want them out. And your reply?

NAUGLE: Well, you know, the other problem that we have in our city is that we’re — we lead the nation with HIV who are in the classification of men having sex with men. And that’s something that I want to address, I want to stop, this activity that we have in public places.

Yes, his response to “are you homophobic” really was to start talking about HIV. Translation: “yep, I sure am homophobic.”

But gay people – and decent minded residents – are not without an ally. Nicki Grossman, who wrote to us to welcome us to the city, took the mayor to task:

“The damage has been done to the destination,” said Nikki Grossman with Broward County’s Visitor and Convention Bureau, “we need to get back to work fixing it. The rhetoric needs to stop and the anger, the mischaracterizations and the hurtful mean-spirited rhetoric has to stop.”

And Nicki wasn’t alone:

“I’m asking you to stop,” Oina Lee with Travel Host magazine told Naugle, “I’m really asking you to stop.”

Is he going to stop attacking the gay community, whipping up a storm about a bogus epidemic of public sex, or promoting the lies of homophobes? Not according to Naugle.

Naugle said he will not back off the comments and will be outspoken as long as public health is an issue in Fort Lauderdale.

So while I think the tourist board wants me in Ft. Lauderdale, and I appreciate their words of welcome, I hope the citizens of that fair city say, “enough is enough”, and find a way to rid themselves of this self-promoting windbag and his circus of bigotry.

Boo

August 23rd, 2007

So Naugle doesn’t want gay people there, but everyone else does. The obvious answer is a campaign to make Fort Lauderdale the gay tourism capital of the world.

Robguy

August 23rd, 2007

“as long as public health is an issue in Fort Lauderdale.”

Hah, isn’t public health ALWAYS going to be an issue EVERYWHERE? If there were any evidence that people were having public sex (het or homo) then I might understand. This guy is a creep.

Leave A Comment

All comments reflect the opinions of commenters only. They are not necessarily those of anyone associated with Box Turtle Bulletin. Comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

(Required)
(Required, never shared)

PLEASE NOTE: All comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

 

Latest Posts

The Things You Learn from the Internet

"The Intel On This Wasn't 100 Percent"

From Fake News To Real Bullets: This Is The New Normal

NC Gov McCrory Throws In The Towel

Colorado Store Manager Verbally Attacks "Faggot That Voted For Hillary" In Front of 4-Year-Old Son

Associated Press Updates "Alt-Right" Usage Guide

A Challenge for Blue Bubble Democrats

Baptist Churches in Dallas, Austin Expelled Over LGBT-Affirming Stance

Featured Reports

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.

Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate

When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.

Paul Cameron’s World

In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.

From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”

On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.

Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"

The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing The Myths

At last, the truth can now be told.

Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!

And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.

Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?

Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.

Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples

Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.

The FRC’s Briefs Are Showing

Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.

Daniel Fetty Doesn’t Count

Daniel FettyThe FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.