Broward County, FL: Twenty-Two Hour Festival “Glorifying Sodomy and Debauchery”

The Broward County, FL Twilight Parade was held on Saturday, June 21st at 7:00 p.m.  Following the parade was the Stonewall Pride Street Festival held from noon to 11:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. on Sunday June 22nd.

Festival organizers in an email wrote:

CALLING ALL DRAG QUEENS & KINGS, TRANSGENDERS & CROSS DRESSERS !! Get International Publicity in the Guiness Book of World Records. TOMORROW, Sat. June 21st At Stonewall In Wilton Manors. 4 pm Registration behend [sic] Main Center Stage and a 5 min. dance to the Cupid Shuffle at 7:30 at same location.

The below poster was attached to the email:

For a large view click on the poster.

Commissioner Bruce G. Roberts – District 1.

Organizers stated, “We look forward to our members and friends staffing the booth and volunteering some of the time to spread the word about Log Cabin Republicans and how we are movers and shakers and can continue to create positive change in the community. Our involvement in the Republican Party bore fruit this week past when one Ft. Lauderdale City Commissioner voted to pass a resolution that endorsed equality for all Americans in Broward County regardless of sexual orientation. Without his vote the resolve would have failed to pass even though the majority of Commissioners were registered Democrats. We have a right to celebrate our effort to make the Party of Lincoln inclusive and challenge those who make our party one that enables exclusion based on any minority status.” [Emphasis added]

The resolution passed by a 3-2 vote. So who was the Republican who cast the swing vote? Commissioner Bruce G. Roberts – District 1, City of Fort Lauderdale.

According to a member of the Lauderdale Beach Republican Club (LBRC), “Bruce Roberts, Republican, was the featured speaker at the Lauderdale Beach Republican Club at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, 17th.  It turned out that he voted YES for a same-sex marriage resolution, while two Democrats — Romney Rogers and Mayor Jack Seiler voted NO! Knowing that Roberts was speaking at our local club, a few of us climbed atop our war horses.  There were seven of us in a room of approximately twenty people. Bob Wolfe, founder and former Chair of that LBRC met us at our table to let us know he knew why we were there, but to please keep it ‘professional.’  He asked me not to throw anything at the commissioner.”

Some asked Commissioner Roberts, who is the only Republican representative on the city commission, “why he voted against Republican family values while two Democrats voted for family values.”  According to attendees reasons were “appalling”, and “included… ‘a high divorce rate among heterosexuals” Roberts was asked if he happened to know the divorce rate among homosexual marriages.  He had no answer.

Jack Gilles then stood and asked Roberts, “As a purported Christian, how do you feel about casting a vote against God?” To which he insisted he had not, and Gilles insisted that, “indeed he had gone against God.”  Roberts then used the excuse of the separation of church and state to explain his vote for gay marriage. Another attendee named Ed then took out his pocket Constitution, walked toward Roberts, and said, “Sir, this is a copy of the United States Constitution.  Please show me in here where it says there must be separation of Church and State.”  By this time the Chairman was calling for the questions to stop. According to attendees the chairman was literally drenched in sweat.

One attendee noted, “It’s what we Republicans continue to do.  Elect candidates and vet them afterwards.”

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