HIS CHRISTIAN VALUES TOLD HIM TO
LISTEN
"We don’t have to agree in order to love each other and to try to understand each other"
At an Iowa city council
meeting Monday, Mayor Rob Green listened for about 90 minutes as dozens of residents and council members criticized him for a recent decision.
About a week earlier, Green had rejected a proclamation to recognize June as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in Cedar Falls, citing his Christian values. But after residents on Monday expressed the embarrassment and fear that had caused them, Green responded.
“I’m not a hateful person,” he said as some attendees laughed.
The laughter stopped
when Green admitted to being among “hundreds” in the city “who don’t understand” the LGBTQ+ community.
A few minutes later, Green said he would sign the proclamation as spectators applauded.
“We don’t have to agree in order to love each other and to try to understand each other,” the mayor said.
Green said he didn’t realize his initial decision would leave some residents feeling unsafe.
“One of the mayor’s primary responsibilities is to ensure public safety and
welfare, and it was evident from the many comments that I needed to take direct action to ensure the safety and well-being of my constituents in Cedar Falls,” said Green, who has served as mayor since January 2020. “When looking at the decision in those terms, signing was an easy choice to make...
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