NY Times Singles Out Vallejo As Battleground Between Gays & Christians
Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis
The economy has not been kind to the city, and with economic hardship comes increased tension between the town's Christian mayor and the gay citizens who are now locked into mortgages there. "I don’t know what the fear is about considering Vallejo as a city of God," Mayor Davis says. Well, first of all, Vallejo was the first California city to file for bankruptcy last year, and Vallejo's only gay bar, the R Bar, closed not long after. An openly gay student sued the impoverished Vallejo School District for discrimination and won a $25,000 settlement earlier this year.
But the increasing closeness of church and state in Vallejo is making the town's gay population nervous. The particular quote they take issue with in the NY Times piece is where Mayor Davis says of homosexuals, "They're committing sin and that sin will keep them out of heaven, but you don't hate the person. You hate the sin that they commit."
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have one of those scary cities you see in documentaries in our backyard. And while we do not assume that Mayor Davis' comments reflect the opinions of all the citizens of Vallejo, we agree with Vallejo citizen and former Human Relations Commissioner Sherrie Connelly, who says "As elected officials, we have a responsibility to serve the entire community, not just the ones who believe as we do." City Council member Stephanie Gomes notes that the Christian segment in Vallejo obviously felt invaded by the gays and are now battling back.
Those who aren't on Mayor's Davis' side are calling for both his censure, and in at least one case, his resignation. A rally is planned at Vallejo City Hall on December 1st at 6:15 p.m., before the next regularly scheduled City Council Meeting. Seriously, people, you don't run a city with a Bible, for god's sake.