Apparently fearing the loss of its tax-exempt status for mixing antigay evangelism and politics, the Dove World Outreach Center, a conservative Christian church in Gainesville, Fla., has altered a sign posted last month that read “No Homo Mayor.”
The church, which also espouses on its website that “Haiti must repent,” “Obama is president because he is black,” and denounces “a gay lesbian’s election as mayor of Houston” (Annise Parker), changed the sign to read “No homo.” Dove World is headed by senior pastor Dr. Terry Jones (pictured).
The previous iteration of the sign was a reference to the mayoral candidacy of Craig Lowe, a Gainesville city commissioner who is gay. Lowe’s opponent in the race has condemned the church’s sign, saying a candidate’s sexuality should not be an issue in the election, The Gainesville Sun reports.
“Here in Gainesville they’re getting ready to have a runoff election between two candidates, and one of them is openly a homo, gay ... uh ... a fag, whatever you want to call him,” Dove Church pastor Wayne Sapp said in a video on the church's website. “Bottom line is, we cannot afford a homo mayor."
Lowe will face local businessman Don Marsh in a runoff election April 13.
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