Homophobes Strike
Again Near Fort Lauderdale

The beleaguered gay community of greater Fort Lauderdale has been put through another homophobic incident.

After numerous physical attacks against LGBT people -- including the murder of teenager Simmie Williams Jr. in February -- and verbal attacks from Fort Lauderdale's antigay mayor Jim Naugle, three south Florida homes were vandalized by homophobes early Friday, the Miami Herald reports. The attack occurred in Wilton Manors, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale with a large gay population.

Graffiti was scrawled on cars and homes, though one of the homes hit was not owned by anyone gay.

Victim Ron Helfrich seemed to take the attack in stride, telling the Herald, "Maybe I'll just write an 'I love' on top of the word gay and add an 's' to the end." (The Advocate)