Alabama mayor who called for gays to be killed running for re-election
Mark Chambers of Carbon Hill, Alabama (Carbon Hill)
An Alabama mayor who called for gay people to be killed is planning on running for re-election.
Mark Chambers, the Republican mayor of Carbon Hill, Alabama, came under fire over a Facebook post calling for gay people to be “killed out” in June.
After posting a meme attacking “a society where homosexuals lecture us on morals, transvestites lecture us on human biology, baby killers lecture us on human rights and socialists lecture us on economics,” the official wrote: “The only way to change it would be to kill the problem out. I know it’s bad to say but without killing them out there’s no way to fix it.”
Alabama mayor urged to resign at tense public meeting
Despite facing protests and resignations over his comments, the far-right official has resisted calls to step down, and is instead planning on running for re-election.
According to The Montgomery Advertiser, Chambers told residents he plans to seek another term in office at a tense public meeting on Monday (July 8).
Two city councillors, McClain Burrough and Chandler Gann, announced their resignations ahead of the meeting.
Alabama mayor Mark Chambers
The meeting saw local activists stage a “die-in” against the mayor, with one carrying a sign that read: “If you kill me, my ghost will haunt you.”
Carbon Hill has a population of around 2,000 people.
Local resident Rawsy McCollum told the newspaper: “If you can impeach the president of the United States, you should be able to move the mayor in this little one-red-light town.”
Mark Chambers claims comments were ‘taken out of context’
Chambers had initially denied making the anti-LGBT remarks on his Facebook page, but has since admitted writing the comments.
He later claimed that they were both being taken out of context and supposed to have been sent in a private message.
In an apology in June, he said: “I and I alone am responsible for the comment that was made.
“Although I believe my comment was taken out of context and was not targeting the LGTBQ community, I know that it was wrong to say anyone should be killed.
“I am truly sorry that I have embarrassed our City, I love this City and while in office I have done everything in my power to make this a better place for our families.”
