BAD NEWS FROM SOUTH FLORIDA

FROM GAY CITY NEWS:

A 17-year-old man who brutally beat a transsexual, 39, after discovering during sex that she had a penis was convicted of aggravated battery in Palm Beach County Juvenile Court, but not of a hate crime, the Miami Herald reported. Names of victim and perpetrator are being withheld.

WHOLE ARTICLE: GAYCITYNEWS

And how about this psycho from Florida who is running for Miami Beach mayor on an anti-gay ticket? If I'm not mistaken, the current mayor of Miami Beach is gay and is anxious to promote tourism, since many of the fags are now turning to Miami to party--not the snotty beach--and moving to Fort Lauderdale. Ya might wanna realize that party capitols have LESS STRICT atmospheres and MORE REASONABLE POLICE OFFICERS!

FROM THE MIAMI HERALD:

Anti-gay banner hanger runs for Beach mayor

BY TANIA VALDEMORO

A Miami Beach resident who offended the city's gay community by hanging a banner criticizing homosexuality in front of his house, filed Friday to run for Miami Beach mayor in November.

William Charles Smatt, 76, told The Miami Herald earlier this week he is running on an anti-corruption platform.

''I am going to clean up the garbage. I'm going to bring in the state attorney to investigate what is going on down there at City Hall,'' he said.

He refused to say what he wanted authorities to look into.

Smatt joins a growing field of mayoral candidates: Commissioners Matti Bower and Simon Cruz and resident Raphael Herman are also in the Nov. 6 race.

Smatt offended his neighbors last week when he posted a banner that read: ''God created Adam + Eve, NOT Adam + Steve'' in front of his home at 4760 Alton Rd.

City workers issued five code violations, including one for displaying an election banner at a residence, on June 29. Smatt said he will appeal the citations.

Smatt denied he is homophobic but said he does not like it when gay people show affection in public.

His explanation is unconvincing to gay rights leaders.

''We call on every elected official of the city of Miami Beach and local community leaders to loudly denounce this type of divisive bigotry. Only by speaking out will Miami Beach leaders effectively combat such anti-gay hostility,'' said Brian Winfield, communications director of Equality Florida.

In 1998, Smatt offended his neighbors in the Belle Meade neighborhood of Miami when he hung an anti-gay banner on his front fence. It read: ``Belle Meade, City of Sodom and Gomorrah. Vengeance is Mine Sayeth the Lord.''

Two gay candidates are running for Miami Beach office in November: City Commissioner Michael Góngora, who is running to keep his seat, and Frank Kruszewski, who wants to replace Bower, who is term-limited.

If elected mayor, Smatt promised to abolish property and school taxes for Miami Beach residents who own property and are registered to vote. He also wants to increase salaries for police officers and firefighters by 100 percent, despite state-imposed budget cuts that would make the city of Miami Beach operate close to its $237 million budget and trim another $13 million to $14 million next year.

And, if the Miami Heart Institute were to be rezoned, Smatt said he wants to see a university inhabit the property.

Critics of Smatt have dismissed him as a lunatic. They point to his sayings that he is a ''messenger of God'' and the comparisons he has made of himself to the biblical Moses.

Smatt said he intends to make religion an issue in his campaign. Still, on Friday, he signed the city's mandatory ethics declaration, which states, 'I shall not make my opponents' race, religion, national origin, gender, physical disability or sexual orientation an issue in my campaign.''