Reader shares correspondence with Mayor Jim Naugle

From Web reader Jeff Bluth of Washington, D.C.:

After watching a recent CNN interview of Mayor James Naugle, I felt compelled to write to him expressing my disbelief in his bigoted remarks about refusing to refer to homosexuals as “gays” because, as he put it “homosexuals are unhappy”. I thought you might be interested to see the email I wrote and even more, what his response to me was.

Dear Mr. Naugle,

Thank goodness I have made enough visits to the beautiful area of Ft. Lauderdale to know that your bigoted opinion of gays and lesbians isn't felt by all of the residents of Broward County.  This having been said however your recent appearance and comments on CNN are laced with prejudice and hate and would cause me to think twice about where to spend my vacation dollars while you are in office.

Your role as an elected official does not give you a license to spread your own opinion.  If I were a resident of Broward County, I would be one citizen calling for your resignation.

Tell me, Mr. Naugle, what academic credentials do you possess that give you the 'knowledge' to assert that "homosexuals are unhappy".  This is reckless and certainly a case of open-mouth-insert-foot.

I may be but one citizen, Mr. Naugle, but rest assured I will engage my own network to alert my fellow gay, lesbian and straight colleagues to your ridiculous and hateful comments.

Mayor Naugle's reply:

I have had thousands email me to agree with me. Actually, many experts have written about the fact that many homosexuals are unhappy and even have a higher suicide rate. I suggest you look it up. I am just a mayor who wishes to clean up activity at my parks and public places.

Jim

Comments

[Rod]

None of this back and forth comments between the Mayor and the Gays would have happned if the gays would obay the law.

After the Mayor made his comments known about his desire to stop the activity in the public rest areas of his city the gays should have said will do all that we can to help in accomplishing this but insteat the gays mistakenly turned it into some sort of attack on gays.

Everyone must obay the same laws and those who are not in line with the solution are part of the problem. So its very clear who is at fault in this situation...the gays.

I resent the fact that gays think they can do as they please and attack those who hold them to that same standard they hold everyone else... is this not the equality gays desire?

This is a game the gays like to play and its old and its needs to end. Obay the law and stop attacking the Mayor like everyone else you each claim to be just like.

[jm]

I don't understand what the kufuffle is about.
I don't think it's unreasonable to say that cruising for casual sex in public parks and restrooms etc. is part of gay social ritual. It's nothing new. It's historical fact. You'd have to be a liar to deny it.
So why the feigned outrage?
It's illegal and inappropriate as well as unhealthy.
If one is caught, then they should indeed pay the price. That goes for gay, straight or bi.
If it seems the gays are being singled out, well that's because it isn't part of the heterosexual dating and mating ritual. (We still prefer dinner and a movie.)
Can't gay men just rent a room, throw a party or go to a bar like everyone else?
Making such a noise over this sort of thing just clouds important issues of equality.
You need an equivalence of marriage to protect your spouses and property.
You need to feel safe wherever you go.
That sort of thing.
If you want respect, you have to respect yourself. And behave respectably.
SO GET A ROOM GUYS!