May 4--Anthony Niedwiecki and Waymon Hudson of Oakland Park say they were waiting for their luggage at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when they heard the recording over the PA system.
It was a male voice, Niedwiecki said, reciting a "mangled" passage from the Old Testament book of Leviticus.
It reads: "If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads ."
The couple, who are openly gay, complained about the announcement.
Airport officials and the Broward Sheriff's Office are looking into the matter, although there is no official record of what was or wasn't said over the loudspeaker at 1 a.m. Tuesday after the two men stepped off of a United Airlines flight from Chicago into the terminal.
"This is such a unique and unusual situation," said Greg Meyer, spokesman for the airport, "It's very disturbing to us."
The investigation didn't really get going, the couple said, until they had repeatedly filed reports with the security manager at the airport and called BSO and United Airlines several times.
Niedwiecki also posted their complaint on blogs pamshouseblend.com and towelroad.com.
The postings initiated lively exchanges about homophobia and free speech.
E-MAILS
Niedwiecki also exchanged e-mails with Ken Keechl, who is the Broward County Comission's only openly gay member.
"This is absolutely unacceptable," Keechl said, "And if it is determined that a Broward county employee is responsible for this, that person should be fired immediately."
'DUMBFOUNDED'
Niedwiecki said he was "dumbfounded," to hear the message over the loudspeaker.
"I don't usually pay attention to the announcements," he said. "But when it came over, everyone stopped and looked at each other."
Meyer explained that there are microphones throughout the terminals that are linked to one paging system. They are reserved for employee use.
"Every person has to sign in to use the system," he said. "We're working with the company that installed the system."
The company, Miami-based Pro-Sound, does not archive what is broadcast over the loudspeakers. However, it can track who has logged in to the PA system.
The episode has disturbed the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, which buys ads in gay publications and publishes a "Rainbow" guide to the Fort Lauderdale area.
GAY VISITORS
Gay vacationers are a key segment of Broward's tourism industry, accounting for about 8 percent of its 10 million annual visitors.
Bureau President Nicki Grossman said her office requested an investigation after learning of the complaint.
"That is not supposed to happen," she said.
Niedwiecki is a law professor at Nova Southeastern University. Hudson works out of the airport on a daily basis as a flight attendant for Jet Blue.
"I wasn't offended," said Hudson, "I was frightened. They were saying we should be put to death. In this day and age of terrorism, you would think the airport would be the safest place."
Miami Herald staff writer Douglas Hanks contributed to this report.
