In a few weeks, the Ft. Lauderdale gay community will be saying...so long, fare well...to it's hateful mayor - Jim Naugle. They will also be saying GOOD RIDDANCE...thank you term limits!
For those of you unaware...the outgoing Ft. Lauderdale mayor Naugle made a statement back in 2007 that outraged many in the community (gay and straight). To summarize and paraphrase...he basically said that 'the homosexual...not gay...gay means happy and most gay people are not happy...is the reason he is proposing a new automated public restroom at the beach.' The automated restroom would be 'timed' and the doors would open automatically after a certain time limit has been reached. Naugle claims that the beach is full of 'homosexuals' cruising for gay sex everywhere at the beach. Naugle also took a shot at the gay population in the city..saying that visitors that hit Ft. Lauderdale for good times are exposing themselves to HIV. He also went on to say that he was against any advertising dollars going to support any gay establishments...especially bathhouses and sex clubs (like straight people don't have them??!). The funny thing is that the Ft. Lauderdale police even said there is no 'public sex problem' at the beach.
While the mayor remained in office..the public outcry was amazing. The Travel and Tourism board kicked him off of the committee and Naugle's words are still heard at this round of elections. Hopefully these hateful comments by Naugle will help someone that is more positive for all minority communities in the city get elected.
With all of Naugle's hate...gay tourism in Ft. Lauderdale is at an all time high. Gay businesses are thriving and growing in numbers. While the mainly 'straight' entertainment district on Las Olas is floundering...the hip gay mecca in Wilton Manors is growing every week. Ft. Lauderdale has one of the largest gay populations in the US and Naugle's words have not stopped that. It's one of the most gay friendly areas in Florida as well. It's great to see the community uniting and working past one person's hateful views.
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