I was very surprised to find this item and I wanted to share it. It is from a week ago but I searched for it here and could not find that anyone had submitted it.

There is a video press conference of the statement by the mayor at the link below. IT'S VERY INTERESTING.

Fort Lauderdale mayor issues apology, but not to gay community

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-724naug ... -headlines

FORT LAUDERDALE - Mayor Jim Naugle issued a public apology on the steps of City Hall Tuesday afternoon, but it wasn't the apology the gay community was looking for.

Naugle apologized for underestimating the problem of men having sex with each other in public restrooms, and urged people to call police to complain when they come upon it. He also said Broward County leads the nation in the incidence of new AIDS cases involving men having sex with men, and questioned whether the county tourism office should be welcoming them here.

Naugle alerted the media that he was holding a news conference that would include "an apology.''


Gay activists and others have been calling for a public apology form the mayor, and for his resignation, since the South Florida Sun-Sentinel published Naugle's comments earlier this month about gays. In article about a proposed self-cleaning, automatic toilet the city was going to buy for the beach, Naugle said an added benefit would be that it would deter men from using it for "homosexual activity,'' which he said was a problem in public restrooms.

He also said he uses the term "homosexual'' rather than "gay,'' because gays are "unhappy.''

The mayor's comments led to formation of a group called Unite Fort Lauderdale, which is holding a rally tonight at City Hall, where a long list of elected officials and others will be speaking.

"I want to apologize to the children and parents of our community,'' the mayor said, "for not being aware of the problem.''

He said a website about "cruising for sex'' directs people to two city parks, and he asked "responsible members of the homosexual community'' to work with him to get those parks off the website.

He was flanked by conservative Rev. O'Neal Dozier, who pointed at the lightning and rain and raised his eyebrows to local gay activist Anthony Niedwiecki, whose partner, Waymon Hudson, organized the anti-Naugle group.

"It's raining on you!'' Niedwiecki shouted back.