A city councilman in LaPorte, Indiana is under fire after comments broadcast from a City Hall meeting attacking gay people and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Councilman Roger Galloway's remarks were made in response to “a resident seeking city support in increasing LGBTQ visibility and youth resources,” according to NWI Times.
Said Galloway: “You talk… LGB … your talking gay people…Stuff like that? Do you know that is against the Bible? Anybody ever read the Bible? That's my comment.”
At a separate point in the meeting, when the Black Lives Matter movement was brought up, Galloway went “All Lives Matter” on the forum: “I was in Vietnam. I don't care if they were purple. We fought for each other. We took care of each other. You have Black Lives Matters. How 'bout the Hispanics, the Asians, the white people? We're all here. I still don't understand. Of course I'm 70 years old, but uh, let's wake up and take care of everybody in our community. Our whole country. I don't understand Black Lives Matters, I probably never will but it's for all of us, Okay? That's my comment.”
La Porte's mayor Tom Dermody denounced the remarks: “The things said at last night's City Council meeting are unacceptable. These comments are not reflective of the goals we have for the future of LaPorte, nor are they representative of our city government team as a whole. We want our community to be a place that is welcoming to all and will continue working hard to ensure that is the case.”
Galloway later issued an apology and said he was open to some reeducation: “I apologize for my comments at the City Council meeting last night. La Porte is a welcoming community and my remarks did not reflect that. My personal opinions and beliefs should never get in the way of my ability to represent our community as a whole. The LGBTQ representatives from the meeting have agreed to meet with me in the coming days. I am grateful for their willingness to have a conversation so I can learn more and develop a better understanding.”
