01.10.08
Group of clergymen flock to anti gay Naugle’s side
A group of Christian clergymen flocked to the side of Mayor Jim Naugle on Tuesday, saying the depth of sexual sin in Broward County necessitates an old-fashioned spiritual revival.
The African-American church representatives said the gay community misunderstands Naugle’s stance toward them. He is here to help, they said.
“Mayor Naugle is not your enemy, AIDS is,” said Jerry Newcombe of Coral Ridge Television Ministries. He said he’s working on a television story about the mayor and Fort Lauderdale’s culture war about homosexuality.
The group of clergy met with Naugle privately Tuesday in City Hall, then made public statements. They did not say when, where or how long the revival would be.
The mayor incited a fight with gays in gay-friendly Fort Lauderdale in July when he commented that he uses the term “homosexual” because many of them aren’t gay, he said, “they’re unhappy.” He also alleged they frequent public bathrooms in Fort Lauderdale to have sex, and supported purchase of a single-stall supertoilet for $250,000 because its security features and lack of multiple stalls would deter “homosexual activity,” he said. As the fight wore on, Naugle pointed to the high rate of AIDS in Broward County and said the county has a “dilemma” because it markets to gay tourists but its health department has a public health crisis on its hands. Broward health officials said HIV/AIDS is not solely a problem for gays. Black women are among the fastest growing group of new infections.
Naugle’s public supporters have been relatively few, while his public opponents have been many. Tuesday’s event was meant to help turn that around.
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.”