California Mayor Sparks Outrage by telling bulying victims to "grow a pair"
Jan. 24, 2013: A first grade class of 30 children waits to a at the Willow Glenn Elementary School in San Jose, Calif. AP
PORTERVILLE, Calif. A Central California mayor's remarks that bullying victims should toughen up and defend themselves has sparked anger among some city officials and gay rights advocates.
At a recent City Council meeting, Porterville Mayor Cameron Hamilton said he opposes bullying but thinks it is too often blamed for the world's problems. Hamilton said some people need to "grow a pair."
The mayor was responding to a student proposing safe zones around town with signs directing children to places where they could seek refuge from bullies. Porterville is a community of 55,000 residents 70 miles southeast of Fresno.
Councilwoman Virginia Gurrola backs the safe zones and told the mayor, "It's hard to just 'grow a pair' when you're a 10-year-old girl."
Melissa McMurrey of Gay Porterville told KFSN-TV that she felt attacked by the mayor's comments. She said bullies often target young gay people.
Hamilton cast the lone vote against further discussing the safety zones. He told The Associated Press on Friday that he's not anti-gay, but he opposed the plan because it would be costly and expose the city to lawsuits if a safe zone turned dangerous.
"The message is, together we can all fight this thing," Hamilton said of bullying.
The has been pulled from discussion at next weeks' council meeting.
Last year, the city was at the center of a flap when the council in a split vote replaced a proclamation declaring June as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride month with a resolution calling June a month of community and good will to all. Hamilton said he voted in favor of the change, wanting to include everybody.
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If his child wree being bullied I wonder if he would tell his child the same thing.
''"It's hard to just 'grow a pair' when you're a 10-year-old girl." LOL perfect reply.
It sure is a perfect reply Kav. What an idiot!
You can have a "gay" month, but you can't protect your kids from bullies?
That doesn't make any sense to me either.
sorry if I'm not Politically correct here,..but really a "safe zone"....."I'm standing in a safe zone so you can't bully me".....there is just something ever so wrong about that...
and June will beknown as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride month....what moth is straight pride month???? Yikes does that make me a bigot.....
This is alarming:
Really? Attacked? This is preposterous. We have gone too far from the attitude of sticks and stonesto the point where we have reversed the meaning of the verbs in the saying. All of this crying over what somebody said, purely over what he said, and only partly relating to what he said, is unproductive poppycock distracting from the core of the issue at hand: Do we or do we not designate areas as safe zones?
AMEN !!
Excellent comment BF. I'm in total agreement with it. Self confidence goes a long way it stopping bullies.
An hickory ax handle up beside their head, works pretty well too.
You may be onto something there, K--
It always worked for me Swamijim.