A member of the school board in Gurnee, IL, a suburb just outside of Chicago, has come under fire for making homophobic remarks during a meeting, CBS Chicago reports.
While discussing qualities the school board would like to see in a new superintendent during a meeting last week, board member Liz Biondi (pictured) took to the floor to say they should not, under any circumstances, hire a gay person.
“I have very good friends who are gay or lesbian,” Biondi said, “and I’m concerned that if we hired someone that we were not aware of that background, that they may be fighting more personal fires than superintendent fires.”
Say what?
How does having “very good friends” who happen to be gay have anything to do with anything?
Biondi went on to add that she “respects” gay people and that she, personally, would have “no problem” with a gay superintendent, but she fears “the community would.”
Under the 2006 Illinois Human Rights Act, it is illegal to discriminate against someone in employment matters on the basis of sexual orientation. But when Boindi was made aware of this, she didn’t seem to care.
“I was astounded that she would say that,” board President John Anderson said. “It was offensive in every sense of the word.”
Despite upsetting pretty much the entire community, Biondi has not issued an apology for her remarks, nor has she responded requests for comment by the press.
According to superintendent Roycealee Wood, because Biondi was elected to a 4-year term with 31 write-in votes in April 2013, she cannot be forced off the board.
“We’ve had a number of instances where people have committed crimes and been indicted, but unless they’re convicted they cannot be removed,” Wood said. Though, she added, she plans on meeting with the school district’s lawyers to discuss what other legal options the board may have.
“She’s creating a concern for the school district and bad publicity, and there’s no way that I can remove her.” Wood said. “And she knows that.”
In the mean time, mayor Kristina Kovarik is calling for Biondi to resign.
“She’s an embarrassment to this community,” Kovarik scolded. “The comments are outrageous, horrible, and she does not represent our community. That’s what’s most important.”
According to the Chicago Daily Herald, this isn’t the first time Biondi has caused problems for the school district. In February she made a scene at a meeting when she alleged “someone in the district” had wiretapped her telephone. And about a year ago, she said she was afraid for her safety after refusing to accept a district-issued iPad.
Related stories:
Teacher Nearly Vomits Over Marriage Equality, Tells Entire School District On Facebook
MD School District Busted Incorporating Reparative Therapy Into Curriculum
Gay Teen Suing School District For Failing To Protect Him From Bullying
d3clark
She seems to have left the house without wearing her tin foil hat again.
NoCagada
From the picture…I SMELL DIESEL!!!
Ladbrook
So we should assume that her many gay friends are, oh I dunno, Ellen and Rosie and Richard Simmons? Because she’s seen their TV shows, no doubt.
I bet she’s got a lot of black friends, too. And a Jew, definitely one good Jewish friend. Definitely.
MacAdvisor
@Ladbrook:
“And a Jew, definitely one good Jewish friend. Definitely.”
Who’s a lawyer, of course, because you need to have good Jewish lawyer available.
Yesh, all these crazy people; as Max Bialystock asks, “They come here. They all come here. How do they find me?”
Garrett
“Some of my best friends are gay, but…” = “you dirty homos”
QJ201
and in the gay community… “I love me some big black trade banging my hungry hole, but I would never date one”
Captain proton
She may be suffering from the onset of dementia.
jwtraveler
Frankly, she just sounds stupid.
transiteer
Here, she’d be fired for those comments and that attitude. Definitely a hateful person in the wrong position. Get rid of her.
jason smeds
I’m not homophobic but….
Leonard Woodrow
What a stupid, callous cow! She should not be allowed to occupy any position in which her backward brain can affect decent people.
veejs
This woman is willfully stupid. I live and work in this community and this is not the first time she has created problems for the board.
Goforit
Elected to a 4 year term with 31 write-in votes? This is exactly why we need to get out and vote in EVERY election boys and girls. Every vote really does make a difference.
onthemark
@transiteer: She’s an elected official so she can’t be “fired” (until the next election, 2017!). Although I’m guessing IL has the possibility for a recall election.
@Goforit: Well, during school board campaigns, it’s rare for anyone to say anything at all controversial. Often the weird stuff oozes out after they get elected.
Where I live I make the effort to vote in every school board election – even though I don’t have kids and don’t intend to – but it’s usually pretty difficult to figure out the candidates’ attitudes on gay or “quasi-gay” issues, especially if the local news media don’t ask the questions. School board elections usually turn on whether to shut down School X or build School Y, that sort of thing.
RainboWarrioR
@MacAdvisor: lmao. i wonder how many people still know who good ol Max is. 🙂
lcandela123
Biondi went on to add that she “respects” gay people and that she, personally, would have “no problem” with a gay superintendent, but she fears “the community would.”
This is the typical lie that bigots try to use to cover their tracks. Bullshit, hag, you are just a small-minded bigot that hates gay people.
Cam
“”“I have very good friends who are gay or lesbian,” Biondi said, “””
_________________
The typical Right Wing talking point, the same way Sarah Palin claimed she had gay friends….but could never produce any proof.
TheBigOne
Anybody else smell closet dyke?
msfrost
Remove her for immoral behavior. Or at the least, insanity.
Alan down in Florida
@TheBigOne: I go out of my way to not smell closet dykes.
Trippy
she’s a bitch
jrsmckay
NBC’s Chicago affiliate reports she apologized. Though to be honest, to me the best apology is to resign.
Link to the NBC 5 Chicago Story:
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Suburban-School-Board-Member-Says-No-Gay-Superintendent-285530231.html
Reminds me of the “I have [african-american, hispanic, jewish, etc…] friends/family, so I can’t be a bigot,” defense. No defense at all.
veejs
Illinois has no recall options for this. She has to quit. Hopefully, if people show up to protest, she’ll get the message.
veejs
Also, she was elected to the board on 31 write in votes. This is what happens when people don’t vote!
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
“I have very good friends who are gay or lesbian,” Biondi said, “and I’m concerned that if we hired someone that we were not aware of that background, that they may be fighting more personal fires than superintendent fires.”
Key Phrase: “If you were not aware of their background”. Which merely implies that you should take steps to not hire any CLOSETED gay men, or lesbians for the job of Superintendent. It would seem however that the only way to safe guard against that happening though is to take steps to only hire an OUT OF THE CLOSET gay man, or lesbian for the job outright, as hiring just any other seemingly straight person for Superintendent could run you the risk of hiring a person who may have something in their background that you are not otherwise aware of…
Cam
IT’s funny that the anti-gay people are always so obviously massive closet cases. This woman is somebody that Lea Delaria would look at and say “Wow, she’s butch.”