Naugle Loses Bid To Stop Gay Library Move

Over the protests of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle, the city commission voted to allow the Stonewall gay and lesbian book collection to be housed on city property. The archive is currently stored in a commerical property that is being redeveloped.

Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the Stonewall Library and Archives request to move the extensive book, magazine and video collection to ArtSpace library at Holiday Park. The county-run library is owned by the city. Some of the titles on a list that city staff compiled: 100 Percent Beef, Arab Slave Boys, and Lesbian Bedtime Stories. "I had no idea this was what the homosexual book collection was all about," Naugle said before the meeting, showing a pack of nude gay magazines that city staff said are part of the Stonewall collection. "It's a shame it had to come out during this whole toilet controversy," he said. "They'll think it's some anti-gay thing — um, anti-homosexual."

The Miami Herald:

Broward County leaders approved the [library's] move last month. The Stonewall Library annually draws about 9,000 users -- who must be 18 or older -- for reading and research. Stonewall has been seeking the right location for more than a year, and believes the 4,350 square feet at the library is a perfect fit. The move will be partially funded through the John C. Graves Charitable Trust, named after a late historian, writer and philanthropist in the gay community.