Campbell, Calif.,
gay city council member Evan Low says some constituents
have threatened to recall him for opposing the state's
proposed ban on same-sex marriage.
Low wrote an
e-mail to supporters on Wednesday, saying that seven people
had contacted him that day promising to recall him from
office if he did not reverse his opposition to
Proposition 8. Low told The Advocate on Friday that
the threats have not affected his opposition to
banning same-sex marriage.
"It only
reaffirms my commitment to why I do what I do," Low
said. "This reaffirms why I serve in this capacity, to give
a voice to those that are less fortunate, and to also
stand up against this horrible, despicable, hateful
agenda. It's unfortunate that a proposition like this
brings out the worst in people. It's unfortunate that we
aren't spending our time and energy on both sides
working on something that we can all agree on, like
health care and education."
The council
member said that voters in Campbell are split on the
proposition, but he sees a lot of Yes on 8 signs and banners
on lawns and highway overpasses.
"I've actually
been to another council member's home where there was
a Yes on 8 sign, so it's really challenging," he said. "Not
only do we help persuade our friends and neighbors,
but to also thank other individuals who are standing
up, and putting themselves on the line, and making
themselves visible to do so, because there is an inherent
risk to doing that."
Low said that he
knew one of the callers was a Campbell resident, but was
unsure as to where the others lived, according to the Bay
Area Reporter.
After receiving
the threats earlier this week, Low headed north to San
Francisco to campaign against Proposition 8 in Chinatown
with Mayor Gavin Newsom. Campbell is in the South Bay,
about 50 miles south of San Francisco. (Michelle
Garcia, The Advocate)
