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Vallejo Mayor: Gays "Committing Sin"


Mayor Davisx390 (Screen grab) | Advocate.com

The mayor of Vallejo, Calif., remains under fire for comments he made to The New York Times last week saying that gay people are “committing sin” and will be denied entry to heaven.

Mayor Osby Davis, a devout member of the Assemblies of God, was quoted in an article that examined the growing influence of evangelicals on politics in the economically struggling Bay Area town. He referred to Vallejo as a "city of God."

“They’re committing sin and that sin will keep them out of heaven,” Davis told The New York Times. “But you don’t hate the person. You hate the sin that they commit.”

Gay leaders in Vallejo are calling for the mayor, who has since apologized, to be censured. A protest is planned for the steps of City Hall this Tuesday. The organizer, Father Lou Bordisso, is a gay priest in a Catholic sect not affiliated with the Vatican.

Davis, a former Solano County supervisor, defeated a gay candidate, Gary Cloutier, in a recount by just two votes to become mayor in 2007.

KGO TV spoke with Davis about his remarks. Watch the video below.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Sherrie Connelly
    Date posted: 12/4/2009 7:44:23 PM
    Hometown: Vallejo, California

    Comment:

    Ben, I am not an evangelical Christian and I was one of the speakers at the protest rally against Mayor Davis. The branch of Christianity I belong to ordains women and gay people with joy and appreciation. The branch of Christianity of which I am a part believes that all faiths and secular belief are all fine so long as they are motivated by love, wisdom, truth, good, service, and charity toward neighbor. It is universalist and inclusive. I apologize to any reader that had a different impression from what I said, in noting Bishop Carlton Pearson's The Gospel of Inclusion. It was not my intent to add any misunderstanding or hurt. Please forgive me.

  • Name: Graham Bengen
    Date posted: 12/1/2009 12:01:52 AM
    Hometown: Watertown, Massachusetts

    Comment:

    Unfortunately, the black community has MANY, MANY anti-gay bigots within it. The advocate is correct in exposing all bigots and hate-mongers, whether they are black, white, or whatever. It's especially offensive when another minority group -- LIKE BLACKS -- criticize and demonize gay people. Lest they forget, the Bible was used to justify slavery. Learn to grow up. We all either swim together or sink together. Blacks are no worse or no better than gay people. Get used to that!!!

  • Name: Calvin
    Date posted: 11/30/2009 6:25:29 AM
    Hometown: Chicago

    Comment:

    Actually, Roger, Pat Robertson does a lot of anti-poverty charitable work. He probably helps millions of impoverished people, especially black welfare recipients, annually. Davis, on the other hand, has done and will do nothing good for his voting block-black welfare recipients. He will keep them in overwhelmingly crime-infested, blighted, poor and dilapidated areas. They will continue to rape, murder and injure each other, while Davis collects a paycheck and spews hate.

  • Name: Only in Africa
    Date posted: 11/30/2009 4:51:59 AM
    Hometown: Dark Continent

    Comment:

    NAIROBI, Kenya — The mistaken belief that albino body parts have magical powers has driven thousands of Africa's albinos into hiding, fearful of losing their lives and limbs to unscrupulous dealers who can make up to $75,000 selling a complete dismembered set. Mary Owido, who lacks pigment that gives color to skin, eyes and hair, says she is only comfortable when at work or at home with her husband and children. "Wherever I go people start talking about me, saying that my legs and hands can fetch a fortune in Tanzania," said Owido, 36, a mother of six. "This kind of talk scares me. I am afraid of going out alone." Since 2007, 44 albinos have been killed in Tanzania and 14 others have been slain in Burundi, sparking widespread fear among albinos in East Africa. At least 10,000 have been displaced or gone into hiding since the killings began, according to a report released this week by the International Federation for the Red Cross and Crescent societies.

  • Name: Roger
    Date posted: 11/29/2009 11:35:25 PM
    Hometown: NYC

    Comment:

    I find it rather disgusting that each time Advocate posts a story about a public official making homophobic comments who happens to be black, the outpouring of racist comments by readers never fails to follow. I hope we are all aware that the real enemies of our community (i.e. Focus on the Family, Pat Robertson, and the like) are just waiting to exploit such bigotry as to divide us.

  • Name: MikeLT
    Date posted: 11/29/2009 10:06:49 AM
    Hometown: boston

    Comment:

    Frankly, I don't care if he personally believes I'll be denied entry into heaven. However, he should not be in a position to have an influence on my rights, right here on Earth in THIS life. THIS life is the life that matters. Not some fairy tale condo on white fluffy clouds.

  • Name: Calvin
    Date posted: 11/29/2009 8:54:43 AM
    Hometown: Chicago

    Comment:

    If only we gays could stop paying taxes, which pays for welfare, I'd bet Davis and his constituents, especially black welfare recipients, would change that black bigot's tune. LoL!

  • Name: Sherrie Connelly
    Date posted: 11/29/2009 3:26:21 AM
    Hometown: Vallejo,, CA

    Comment:

    Thank you, Isaac, for your very well stated statement.

  • Name: Tom
    Date posted: 11/29/2009 12:40:44 AM
    Hometown: Winnipeg

    Comment:

    It's not so long ago when it was a "sin" for a black person to marry a white. The consequences of even looking at a white women were pretty fearsome. Some of these people should look back a bit, before they start calling other people sinners - unjustifiably.

  • Name: Isaac
    Date posted: 11/28/2009 8:51:43 PM
    Hometown: Chicago, IL

    Comment:

    As I find the mayor of Vallejo's comments offensive and not fitting of a public official who is suppose to represent ALL of the people of that city, I also find comments of some of the posters here equally as offensive. As a black gay male, I find the openly virulent comments towards blacks as ostracizing as the mayor’s views on gays. How would you feel if you found that not only did fundamentalist religious zealots have a scornful view of you, but also some within the gay community because of your race? I found the generalizations towards the black 'community' (as if we all live in the same place, think the same, and behave the same) as bad as the mayor’s uninformed opinion of gays. As a gay movement, we become ineffective if we fractionalize ourselves to such an extent that we became exclusionary of those with differing faiths, views and races.

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