Generally speaking, when it comes to civil rights issues, people usually evolve, they don’t devolve. Except in the case of Phoenix councilman Michael Nowakowski.
Nowakowski, a Democrat who previously supported LGBTQ rights, was just outed for saying some pretty horrible things about gay and trans people in a video uploaded to YouTube.
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In the video, Nowakowski, who clearly doesn’t know he’s being recorded, can be heard telling a roomful of people, “I never thought I would see the day that men and men would be married. Or where people were allowed to go into the same bathroom as my daughter. This world is changing, and it’s time for us to take the leadership and change it back to the way it should be.”
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Now, if he were your just average right-wing bigot, that sort of comment wouldn’t be so shocking. The problem is, it’s a polar opposite viewpoint to what Nowakowski has said publicly in the past.
Not very long ago, Nowakowski voiced support for a 2013 non-discrimination ordinance offering protections to LGBT residents in Phoenix and allowed trans people to use the public restrooms that match their gender identity. And in 2014, after same-sex marriage was legalized in Arizona, he released a statement saying, in part, “Love is love. … This ruling sends a clear message that Arizona is not a discriminatory place and will hopefully help the healing process from past legislative actions.”
Related: Phoenix Passes Ordinance Banning LGBT Discrimination
Apparently, Nowakowski no longer holds those positions.
Or does he?
It’s unclear.
Immediately after the video hit the Internet, he released a statement explaining his remarks: “I apologize that my comments, regardless of the context, offended anyone. My reference in the video to ‘returning to the way it should be’ was in regards to prayer at City Council meetings, not to roll back LGBTQ rights. I understand why my statement in the video was misconstrued, and I apologize.”
He followed that up by posting a hastily-recorded apology video to his official Facebook page saying that “as a practicing Catholic” he often has difficultly “reconciling” his religious views with the law, but that he ultimately believes “no government official should enforce or impose any religious document on others in the public square.”
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But not everyone is 100 percent convinced by the apology.
Rebecca Wininger, co-chair of Equality Arizona’s policy committee, accused Nowakowski of voicing support for LGBT rights “in public to get votes and donations and support” but then “spouting something completely different” behind closed doors.
“What we want is the truth,” she said. “If Councilman Nowakowski’s faith really does prohibit him from embracing equality in the gay community, I think that’s something we and his voters need to know.”
Even Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton has weighed in on the scandal, saying he was “shocked that a councilmember who represents so many LGBT individuals in the heart of our city would hold such homophobic views,” condemning Nowakowski’s “ignorant comments” and calling on him to “open his heart and begin to appreciate the diversity of the people he represents.”
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h/t: AZCentral
Corey Walker
Nikki Nelson you live in Phoenix
Xzamilio
What? A flip flopping politician that says on thing in public and another when he thinks he isn’t being recorded? That absolute HELL you say!!!!!
Xzamilio
*one
GC1985
There are many Catholics that GENIUNELY support equality. In fact entire predominantly catholic nations legalized same sex marriage before the US Supreme Court made its ruling. He has no excuse. He lied to his constituents and should be facing a recall.
DCguy
““I apologize that my comments, regardless of the context, offended anyone.””
I am so f-ing board of these fake “I’m sorry if you were offended” apologies.
Just say “Sorry for what I said” and be done with it a**hole.
Kangol
So duplicitous. But his behavior raises the question of how do you respond to people who do the right thing publicly, supporting equality under the law, but privately are homophobic, r@cist, misogynistic, transphobic, etc.?
RevTimmy Awestruckian
As the late great martyr Harvey Milk opined, the closet is the enemy.
———-
“We shall overcome the lethal myth of heterosex-supremacy that dominates life and law on Planet Heterosex-Supremacy!” – Rev. Timmy, Ordained Awestruckian
Heterosex-supremacist politicians, regardless of their godstyle-choice, that choose to pervert the sanctity of our legal marriage into their political football choose to not earn our votes.
Welcome VIDEO: https://youtu.be/0GJN5JcjhOQ
Aromaeus
Yeah this isn’t surprising. I bet there are a lot of democratic leaders who feel this way but the party platform is more progressive so they say what they need to so they can continue their political career.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
He’ll be the next Kim Davis abd switch parties. You watch. “The Democrats left me…” Wah! Get his ass out of office. He’s dangerous.
Jim Philbrick
Looks his political career is toast.. done,,, baked
Paco
I’m fairly certain he isn’t the only person to publicly say one thing to avoid backlash while privately believing the opposite. Those are the “allies” that will quickly turn against us should the political and social winds ever shift against gay rights. Short of complete mind control, there isn’t much we can do about it except expose them and try to keep them out of power.
LilMesican
So publicly, he’s following the law. Is supporting the GLBT community.
Because of his religious beliefs he has personal issues.
Why is that wrong. He’s the opposite of Kim Davis. He’s not letting his personal opinion affect the community.
This is a good thing.
rickhfx
The bible is a work of fiction. Who would make statements or take action based on fantasy instead of facts? There is no such thing a sin, it’s a manmade concept, Things and actions are not good or evil they are good or bad, bad things are not done by evil people they are done by mentally ill people. Being str8 or gay or transexual is normal human nature. There is no sin, bad choice or lifestyle choice. Lifestyle choice refers to being for example a vegetarian. not a gender, not cis, not gay, not tran.
This man is clearly having issues with his “catholic brainwashing” and is in need of a lot of therapy and possible medication.
He is to be pitied and called out on his bigoted notions. Religion is fiction educate yourself and break free of your delusions.
greenmusic23f
@DCguy: Actually, his apology was better than most. He said “that” instead of “if”. And apologized unconditionally again at the end of his statement.
Whether he means his apology, whether his comment was misconstrued — well, we’ll see. But his apology was better worded than most.
ROTHERS
Let me say this about that. where was he when those comments were heard and who told rebecca this info.
or did he wake up and checked his email and realized the recipiant/target.
by the way how is his voting record ++—thay kind of stuff
just a quick look
take care Rothers
He BGB
“People using the same bathroom as his daughter”? Does she have her own private bathrooms throughout Phoenix? (I know what he meant but still)
Brian
Politicians tend to hide their real views from the public if they think those views will reduce the number of votes they receive.
billeetee
All for the G…D….d Vote! f..king Closet Queen. Democratic ‘Rapist’ (he attacked,mauled and molested our principals! Mother F..king Piece of F..king Garbage!
Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. Sometimes you just hear enough and it goes under your skin and BEYOND!
girldownunder
Bad enough he’s tossing the LGBTI community under the bus, but even worse is the supposed “excuse” was he meant he wanted to return “prayer in public meetings”?? WTF?!
Separation of church & state.
What don’t you get?
Keep your delusions to yourself & do your job.
captainburrito
Meh, if he is voting for gay rights despite his real feelings… i find this is low on my list of things to be outraged about. I don’t think we’ve gotten to the stage where we have so much support that we can afford to attack him.
Billysees
@Jim Philbrick:
” Looks his political career is toast.. done,,, baked ”
Probably so, unless there is a political opponent who is worse.