View Comments      Email Article       Printable Version

Published: December 16, 2009

“We’re out of the closet, now Christians need to go into the closet”

Mayor’s comments on homosexuality lead to turmoil in Vallejo

When Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis told the New York Times in November that homosexuals are “committing sin and that sin will keep them out of heaven,” little did he know his remarks would continue to reverberate in the Bay Area city of about 120,000 and lead for calls that he resign.

The pro-family lobbying group Capitol Resource Institute reported Dec. 10, “Vallejo is the site of an escalating battle involving public statements and private morality.” As a consequence of Davis’ remarks, said CRI, “the community is divided in their reaction to this statement. Some have called for the removal of the mayor, the appointment of an openly gay individual to the Vallejo Human Relations Commission, and official recognition of an LGBT Pride month. Many of these demands are wrapped in the misguided claim that the mayor's statements violate the wall between church and state. And much of the criticism begins with the accusation that the religious community in general is motivated by hate.”

“We are monitoring the situation very closely,” said Kevin Snider, chief counsel to the Pacific Justice Institute. “While it may be unwise for an elected official to discuss his religious beliefs with a New York Times reporter, it certainly is not illegal. It is troubling that so many believe that there is such a restriction on protected speech.”

In a Dec. 10 statement, Pacific Justice Institute, which describes itself as “a non-profit 501(c)(3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties,” also expressed concern “about the numerous attacks aimed at the Vallejo religious community showing up in letters to newspapers, in emails and during public forums at City Council meetings.”

KTVU-TV, the Bay Area’s Fox affiliate, reported that on Dec. 2, “Hundreds of people descended on Vallejo City Hall Tuesday night as members of the city’s gay and lesbian community gathered for an emotional rally to condemn recent controversial comments made by Mayor Osby Davis.” Of the hundreds, said the KTVU report, “some supported the mayor's right to his personal opinion while others were making a stand against what they called hurtful comments.” One crowd estimate said as many as 500 people participated in the showdown.

The New York Times later released a recording of the full interview with Mayor Davis, a member of the Assemblies of God denomination, after he complained his remarks had been taken out of context. Said Davis in a partial transcript in the Times, " We learned and we believe a sin is a sin. None is greater than any other, and sin will keep you out of heaven. I have friends, very close friends, who are gay. I don’t believe that their lifestyle is correct but that’s a decision that they have to make. I don’t stop loving them because they’re gay. They have to make a decision on their own. If I present something to them and they don’t want to receive it, okay that’s well and good. That’s not going to stop me from loving them.”

Capitol Resource Institute described the unanticipated uproar over the mayor’s comments as “a teachable moment for the Vallejo faith community,” noting that “many pastors are bristling at the suggestion that they should keep their religious and moral beliefs to themselves. They see more than a little hypocrisy in the idea that some can literally talk about what they do in their bedroom while demanding that others not be able to discuss their deeply held religious beliefs.”

Said Pacific Justice Institute’s Snider, “The hypocrisy is pretty thick. Some are asking that Vallejo formally celebrate their views on sexuality while punishing the mayor for stating his views on sexuality. They seem to be saying, ‘we’re out of the closet, now Christians need to go into the closet.’”

Shortly after the New York Times article was published, Davis and homosexual city council member Michael Wilson issued a joint statement, which said, in part, “Michael Wilson, my friend and colleague, and I have issued this statement to put to rest the rumors of hate being circulated based on the New York Times article ‘Tolerance and Faith Collide.’ We are united in our efforts to build consensus in our city and will stand together to confront hatred and division. It should go without saying and is certainly obvious to all who know me that my conduct, actions and decisions have demonstrated my conviction for fairness for all people and my love for this city… Councilmember Wilson and I were elected on a platform of consensus building and over the past two years, we have and will continue to serve the Vallejo community with an open mind and an open heart. Let's not allow divisiveness to get in the way of what we need to do in order to heal and strengthen our community.”

To see a partial transcript of the mayor’s interview and a 15-minute segment of the 27-minute interview, Click Here.

© California Catholic Daily 2009. All Rights Reserved.