Minnesota mayor faces stress to resign or meet LGBTQ+ group’s calls for after his feedback on Delight

OWATONNA, Minn. — Members of an LGBTQ+ group are calling on the mayor of a southern Minnesota metropolis to fulfill their calls for — or resign — after he requested pastors at a church holding a Delight occasion if there could be stripper poles within the sanctuary and posted a public prayer alluding to “sin and brokenness” on the occasion.

In an open letter to Mayor Tom Kuntz, a Republican, and the Owatonna Metropolis Council, Rainbowatonna organizer Nathan Black mentioned Kuntz used his elected place to harass and intimidate individuals concerned within the metropolis’s Delight celebration on July 8, the Star Tribune reported. The Delight celebration included a service at Related Church, festivities at a pavilion and a drag present after-party on the Owatonna Arts Heart.

In his public letter, Black mentioned Kuntz spoke to pastors on the church about two weeks earlier than the service. He mentioned the mayor seemed to be upset and requested a number of “weird” questions, together with whether or not there could be stripper poles within the sanctuary. Black mentioned he wasn’t involved concerning the mayor’s habits till later, when he discovered that final month Kuntz posted a prayer he wrote on social media.

Within the prayer, Kuntz requested for knowledge within the face of upcoming public occasions “the place sin and brokenness shall be celebrated and the place sexually express acts shall be normalized.” Kuntz didn’t point out a particular occasion however known as for prayer “till July 8,” in line with the Star Tribune.

Black initially requested for the mayor’s rapid resignation, saying: “There isn’t a place for homophobic bigotry in metropolis authorities.”

However Black instructed The Related Press that members of Rainbowatonna met with Kuntz on Monday and deliberate one other assembly later this week. Group members are asking Kuntz for an apology “that acknowledges the influence of his actions,” together with range and sensitivity coaching for the mayor and metropolis workers, Black mentioned.

They’re additionally asking Kuntz to nominate a member of Rainbowatonna’s board to the town’s human rights fee, amongst different measures.

“If he meets these calls for, and we’re hopeful that he’ll, then we’d withdraw that request” for his resignation, Black mentioned.

An electronic mail despatched to the mayor was not returned on Monday.

However in a public response, Kuntz mentioned to Black: “I did what I assumed was the proper factor to do.”

He added: “My intent was to not harass or intimidate anybody. My phrases have been my very own and never these of the Metropolis. I attempt every day to comply with my very own religion and beliefs, however I additionally acknowledge different individuals have the proper to comply with their very own religion and beliefs too. … Please settle for my apologies.”

Kuntz, who has been mayor since 2004, mentioned he reached out to Black and provided to speak by the problem. Final week, Kuntz confirmed components of Black’s letter to the Owatonna Folks’s Press and mentioned: “A pair individuals requested if there was going to be pole dancing, so I requested that.”

He additionally mentioned that he felt God wouldn’t approve of drag reveals and homosexuality.