Anti-gay Mayor Jim "$250K robo-potty" Naugle has so polarized matters in Fort Lauderdale that press conferences and demonstrations are getting tense, according to Jeff Black of UNITE Fort Lauderdale, which sponsored a Faith Press Conference the other day, featured speakers from many denominations and religions to discuss unity, inclusiveness, and acceptance.
Inclusiveness was not on the agenda on Tuesday as members of homophobic black churches, stood with Mayor Naugle at City Hall preaching they are going to take back the city, removing the sin and sinners. Religious men -- in paramilitary gear -- were also standing aside the mayor bleating that "the depth of sexual sin in Broward County necessitates an old-fashioned spiritual revival." From Jeff's email to me:
They escorted me from the front door to the elevator when I entered the building today for this press conference, and stood 'post' at the elevator lobby. The video is frightening, worse was I was standing in the room with these people and worried what was going to happened next.
Elder Mathes Guice of the Koinonia Worship Center in Pembroke Park said the county tourist council's targeted marketing to gay visitors "led the spiritual community on a collision course with Satan.'' He said "we have no other choice but to step up and do the right thing'' by holding the revival.
"We love the homosexual people,'' said the Rev. O'Neal Dozier of Pompano Beach. "We find them to be precious people. We want them saved.''
One clergyman was not impressed.
"I'm going to be ill if we don't get out of here soon,'' said Archbishop Bruce Simpson, who traveled from Pennsylvania to talk about the mayor at a news conference scheduled Wednesday evening at City Hall. Simpson is the author of "The Gay Face of God.''
UNITE Fort Lauderdale hasn't heard of Naugle's new friends from Koinonia Worship Center before, so Jeff Black tried to find out more about it. From the rest of his letter:
As an organizer of the Unity Press Conference and Prayer Vigil, representing inclusive faiths, I spoke with Major Carter of the FLDP last night and after Mayor Naugle paraded this new group out in front of the Mayor's offices and lobby. Major Carter was concerned and is now increasing the police presence at the gathering of clergy at 5:15 this evening.
I've never heard to this group before, the ones in military dress. They concern me a great deal. When I entered City Hall yesterday evening to observe the press conference the Mayor had called with them. Two of them escorted me from the front doors on the north side of the building to the elevators and then stood and took up 'posts' in the elevator lobby.
I tried to find out information on the group but was only able to find a MySpace profile which included an audio track. The audio track is of a military leader talking to a subordinate and explaining how they are in the battle to take back what they have lost for the black man while in the background you hear gun fire and battle sounds.
What I'm hearing on this page is scary. "Special OPS (operations) Units" of the church. References to "Exercising Spiritual Authority"?
The audio on the page sounds like a lot of bloviating hot air to me, but why on earth is Naugle associating with fringe churches like this? What a PR nightmare for Fort Lauderdale. The local Tourism Board, which booted Naugle from its board for his unyielding, loony vitriol toward the gay community, has to be roiling as the situation continues to unravel before the media.
Anti-gay Mayor Jim "$250K robo-potty" Naugle has so polarized matters in Fort Lauderdale that press conferences and demonstrations are getting tense, according to Jeff Black of 
Elder Mathes Guice of the Koinonia Worship Center in Pembroke Park said the county tourist council's targeted marketing to gay visitors "led the spiritual community on a collision course with Satan.'' He said "we have no other choice but to step up and do the right thing'' by holding the revival.
