Former El Portal council member makes anti-gay remarks

A former Village Councilman's comments about the gay community set off controversy at the end of last week's Village Council meeting.

BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN, rroman@MiamiHerald.com

Some El Portal residents are outraged following Tuesday's Village Council meeting, when a former council member made remarks about the gay community they say are offensive.

Two council members walked off the dais, and one questioned why the mayor did not try to stop former councilman Lawrence D. Kennedy Jr. while he was speaking.

Kennedy, 70, did not run for reelection this year and has a reputation for making outrageous statements.

He spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting, when residents are allowed up to three minutes to address topics on the agenda.

After spending about a minute on other issues, Kennedy said, ``I have a pet peeve with two newspapers, I'm not going to call their names. I am here to tell them, this is not a gay community.''

To read more, click here.