Donna Schmitt is the mayor of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis with approximately 20,000 residents.
She’s facing criticism from constituents after she refused to sign a proclamation supporting the city’s upcoming Pride festival, which is scheduled to happen this weekend.
But there’s more to the story than just that.
In her refusal to do so, Schmitt cited new guidelines that were put into place after LGBTQ groups initially contacted her about signing the proclamation.
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According to local station FOX9, organizers from the Columbia Heights Pride Organization reached out to the mayor’s office several weeks ago to ask if she would sign a proclamation officially recognizing this Saturday as LGBTQ Awareness Day in Columbia Heights.
Their emails and phone calls went unanswered until last week when Schmitt finally agreed to meet with them only to say they hadn’t followed the appropriate guidelines for getting a proclamation and, therefore, she could not abide by their request.
But here’s the thing: The guidelines Schmitt cited didn’t exist when organizers first contacted her about the proclamation weeks earlier. They were created the same week she agreed to meet with them, after she had been blowing them off for weeks.
“It is not about a group, it’s about, let’s follow the guidelines,” Schmitt told local station ABC5. “They can go out and celebrate, they are more than welcome to rent our parks and have a family friendly event, as they have requested.”
During a town hall meeting held on Monday, Schmitt told organizers, “You do not need a piece of paper from me to do this.”
“Nowhere does it state or has been implied that I’m against individuals in the LGBTQ community. We have denied three other proclamations in the last couple of months.”
As tensions in the room built, Schmitt slammed her gavel on the table and scolded: “I will be asking some of you to leave if you do not stop!”
Speaking to local media after the meeting, she confirmed the new guidelines were put in place after LGBTQ organizers contacted her but insisted it was not motivated by antigay animus, saying, “I just hope they realize, they don’t represent everyone in the city either.”
jsmu
Another fat white KUNTESS weighs in with the same old weary homophobic shite.
pierced3xs
Maybe a bit tamer criticism or observation would be that she is just another spineless politician willing to compromise whatever morals she has and has absolutely no integrity to stand up for her own believes publicly for fear of being criticized for them. Translation = GUTLESS COWARD!!
Jon in Canada
Lying white trash in dire need of Jenny Craig says what now about not being homophobic?
As many a fabulous Drag Queen would say: BITCH PLEASE!!!
niles
This is what they do – change the rules when someone they don’t like tries to claim their equal rights as a citizen.
chsasbsp
The last line says everything you need to know. Give a bigot enough time and they cant keep it in. saying, “I just hope they realize, they don’t represent everyone in the city either.” bingo. Bigot bingo lol
Cam
Bigots gotta bigot
LARRY
sick and effing tired of these old white “christian” CU*TS.
Brian
I would love to hear what the 3 other proclamations she denied were about.
girldownunder
“It seems to me a fundamental dishonesty, and a fundamental treachery to intellectual integrity to hold a belief because you think it’s useful and not because you think it’s true.”
? Bertrand Russell
grigsey
‘they don’t represent everyone in the city’ says it all
curiobi
And I would like her to know that she doesn’t represent anything, not even herself apparently with her shady goose-stepping BS. No thank you Madame. Next!
JJinAus
Seriously, the word is NOT homophobic, it’s BIGOT. They’re not scared of us, they’re merely assholes.
rbernard
Mayor Donna Schmitt is dishonest and a bigot, and from her cheesy attire, likely a religious bigot.
The people of Columbia Heights, Minnesota should not re-elect her.