District 6 Council Member Don Zimmerman faces backlash from residents in response to his reaction to the Supreme Court ruling to legalize same-sex marriage.[/caption]
On June 26 the U.S. Supreme Court declared marriage between same-sex couples legal. Hours later, Austin City Council Member Don Zimmerman used social media to express his position against the decision and compared homosexuality to pedophilia.
In a Facebook exchange, Zimmerman, who represents District 6 in Northwest Austin, responded to a user who wrote anyone listening to gripes about the Supreme Court should substitute “gay” with “black,” and see if the griper could make the same argument against same-sex marriage's legality.
In response, Zimmerman said the user should replace “gay” with “pedophile” and explain how people can be denied marriage rights based on age discrimination.
At a District 6 Town Hall meeting June 27, a member of the audience challenged Zimmerman’s comments. Will Davies asked Zimmerman to clarify whether he thought homosexuality was the moral equivalent of pedophilia.
Zimmerman explained his position on marriage and said he thinks it should be defined as a union between a man and woman only. He also said the Supreme Court ruling does not settle the issue, and it will likely spur more protests against marriage equality.
Zimmerman did not answer Davies' question regarding his comments on Facebook. Another resident, Margaret Clark,
posted a video recording of the exchange from the June 27 town hall meeting.
Zimmerman said he would only discuss the issue in an interview with his friend, Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works and 1370AM radio talk show host of
"Come and Talk It."
During the June 28 interview, Zimmerman said he is concerned pedophiles would use the same “playbook” used by marriage equality advocates to lower the age of consent. He said that is how radicals change society’s culture, and it is how same-sex marriage advocates changed the definition of marriage.
Cargill said the interview was pre-recorded, and Zimmerman has since left the country on vacation and is unable for further comment.
“By the time this gets played, I’ll be in an airplane at 30,000 feet,” Zimmerman said during the interview.
District 6 Council Member Don Zimmerman faces backlash from residents in response to his reaction to the Supreme Court ruling to legalize same-sex marriage.[/caption]
On June 26 the U.S. Supreme Court declared marriage between same-sex couples legal. Hours later, Austin City Council Member Don Zimmerman used social media to express his position against the decision and compared homosexuality to pedophilia.
In a Facebook exchange, Zimmerman, who represents District 6 in Northwest Austin, responded to a user who wrote anyone listening to gripes about the Supreme Court should substitute “gay” with “black,” and see if the griper could make the same argument against same-sex marriage's legality.
In response, Zimmerman said the user should replace “gay” with “pedophile” and explain how people can be denied marriage rights based on age discrimination.
At a District 6 Town Hall meeting June 27, a member of the audience challenged Zimmerman’s comments. Will Davies asked Zimmerman to clarify whether he thought homosexuality was the moral equivalent of pedophilia.
Zimmerman explained his position on marriage and said he thinks it should be defined as a union between a man and woman only. He also said the Supreme Court ruling does not settle the issue, and it will likely spur more protests against marriage equality.
Zimmerman did not answer Davies' question regarding his comments on Facebook. Another resident, Margaret Clark, posted a video recording of the exchange from the June 27 town hall meeting.
Zimmerman said he would only discuss the issue in an interview with his friend, Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works and 1370AM radio talk show host of "Come and Talk It."
During the June 28 interview, Zimmerman said he is concerned pedophiles would use the same “playbook” used by marriage equality advocates to lower the age of consent. He said that is how radicals change society’s culture, and it is how same-sex marriage advocates changed the definition of marriage.
Cargill said the interview was pre-recorded, and Zimmerman has since left the country on vacation and is unable for further comment.
“By the time this gets played, I’ll be in an airplane at 30,000 feet,” Zimmerman said during the interview.
