Gay Mayor of Oklahoma Town Resigns, Cites 'Escalating' Threats
The openly gay mayor of a small Oklahoma town resigned his office after only a couple of months, saying he had been harassed and that "escalating" threats left him feeling unsafe, according to NBC News.
"Adam Graham, who was elected mayor in May and described himself as the youngest city official in The Village, Oklahoma, wrote to the city manager that over the past month, he has been 'followed home from meetings' and threatened while walking his dog," detailed Oklahoma news channel KJRH. "He also said that his tires had been slashed and that he was harassed at a coffee shop."
In his letter of resignation, Graham said he had "fought against racism, ageism, and homophobia every step" over the last five years of his service to the town, which has included a place on the town's city council and two years as vice mayor, as well as his short stint as mayor. "Unfortunately, certain elements of the population have recently become emboldened to pursue threats and attacks bordering on violence," the letter added.
Graham traced these difficulties to "an incident two months ago where I stood up against Nichols Hill police targeting The Village residents," People Magazine reported. "I will never apologize for standing up for the people I was elected to serve," Graham added.
NBC News viewed police body cam video of that encounter, which showed officers from the neighboring town of Nichols Hills having pulled over a motorist within The Village city limits. The vehicle had allegedly been speeding in Nichols Hills, the article said.
The video "shows Graham pulling alongside the police cruiser and telling the officers to 'get out,' saying they can't pull over cars in his town," NBC News recounted.
A Nichols Hills official "told NBC News that his officers were within their rights to pull over the vehicle, because Nichols Hills has mutual aid agreements with the fire and police departments in The Village and Oklahoma City," NBC News added.
Graham shared his letter of resignation on Twitter and posted, "It's been an honor to serve and it's been my great privilege to break boundaries."
However, Graham's post continued, "I no longer feel safe to serve in my capacity here. It's with a heavy-heart that I tender my resignation."
"Graham was just one of six out LGBTQ elected officials in Oklahoma and the state's only gay mayor, according to the LGBTQ Victory Institute's Out for America report," NBC News noted.
LGBTQ Victory Institute spokesperson Albert Fuji decried the situation, telling NBC News in an email that "No public official should fear for their physical safety." Fuji added, "The reality is that many LGBTQ elected officials and elected officials of color are facing the brunt of this increased animus," possibly referring to rising hostile rhetoric and a record-breaking rash of homophobic state-level legislation sweeping the country.