Commissioners remove Fort Lauderdale Mayor from Tourist board

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Broward County Commissioners have removed Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle from the county's Tourist Development Council citing his discriminatory comments against gays in the community.

The commissioners blame Naugle's inflammatory remarks against gay and lesbians for having a negative economic impact on tourism in the county.

Before the commissioners's unanimous decision to remove Naugle, the mayor said he would not be silenced, even if he gets kicked off the council. "My faith says that homosexuality is a sin," said Naugle.

The Tourist Development Council called a special meeting with Naugle last week to tell him to stop his anti-gay rhetoric because it's costing the county tourism dollars. "When you make those kind of remarks about the gay community, the gay traveler, you hurt everyone within this community," said Richard Gray of the Tourist Development Council.

"We've spent 20 years building up the reputation for this destination as being modern, contemporary, progressive, inclusive and diverse," said Virginia Sheridan, the public relations adviser of the Visitors and Convention Bureau. "We are now in a position where we are defending that position."

Naugle says he does not care about the money. He wants to stand by his beliefs. "One of the things my father taught me is it's not always about the money, it's about doing what's right," said Naugle, as he responded to the council.

All this comes in the wake of phone calls Naugle said he received from parents saying gay men were having sex in public restrooms. According to one Fort Lauderdale resident, not everyone is partaking in such behavior. "I don't like the negative things he has to say about the community because it's not everyone that participates in the activities that he thinks is going on," said Jay Webb of the Grand Resort and Spa.

The gay community is also upset that Naugle voted against expanding the gay and lesbian library after he called some of the materials pornographic.

Naugle's comments have had local activists pushing to "flush" him out of office for more than a month. In July, gay activists came together to protest Naugle as mayor after, they say, he made anti-gay remarks, when he proposed the installation of self-cleaning restrooms designed to stay locked for only a certain period of time. "Mr. Mayor, we ask you, the city of Fort Lauderdale, to resign," said gay activists who wore yellow shirts that read "Flush Naugle."

His comments have now offended those outside Fort Lauderdale who may think twice about coming to Fort Lauderdale to spend their hard-earned dollars. "I do feel offended," said tourist Matthew Miller. "We come from the Northeast, and we have a lot of people competing for our dollars."

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