My Dear Carl

I hate being serious, but one of my closest friends, Carl Zablotny the publisher of Miami's most read gay newspaper, The Wire, was beaten to a pulp after leaving The Palace's drag show on The Fourth. Two gay bashers followed him for several blocks while he was on the phone to 911 asking for help. 911 was it's usual aloofness, but --of course--the whole thing was taped. Most of the police department was attending the fireworks and there was little to send in the way of help. By the time the police arrived Carl was unconscious on the sidewalk. I and many other business people called police chief de Luca yesterday demanding action. de Luca is an amazingly gay-friendly man who, unfortunately can't depend upon his staff, which is made up of fat cops who don't live with or understand the community. We made it clear that this was no ordinary crime and that we were going to to do the "unthinkable" and make it public. Nothing is "public" here as the City loves to keep everything under wraps for tourist reasons. My calls to the Weasil-Mayor, David Dermer, went unreturned even though Carl, me, and many other gay activists elected that hack three years ago by turning out the gay vote 80% for him. Last night Channel 7, owned and operated by gays, showed up and started their evening's main story. It was about Carl and I had the music turned off so all the customers could hear what happened to a decent man who cared about The Beach and for whom The City cared less for. I'm really sorry public lynching has ceased here because I would begin with The Mayor and work my way down to the commissioners. I am so angry that I cry. I hate being serious; it's not my nature, but when I am--and I and a group of well-connect gays removed a commissioner three years ago--it gets dirty. This morning Chief de Luca publicly stated that he would "sweep" the streets of these animals, and I have no doubt that he will. But the weasil sitting in the mayor's chair is about to find out just what a group of gay business owners and Friends of Dorothy are capable of. The last time there was a public outcry he showed up wearing a yarmulka to show how pious he was; it better be made of kevlar this time, Dermer, because you're going to have some nasty gay WASPS attacking you.