Thursday night, San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor was booed and jeered while speaking at a vigil at Crockett Park for the 49 Orlando terror attack victims. A few members of the LGBT community say Taylor had no business being there.
Mayor Taylor was invited to the vigil by the organizers, Pride Center San Antonio. It’s the first time she’s been invited to an LGBT event.
But while leading a prayer, several people turned their backs to the Mayor and others heckled.
Mayor Taylor began with asking for a prayer. “I am here with you tonight to pray as we mark the loss and hurt of so many innocent people,” she said. A protestor chimed in saying “you’re part of the hurt,” and continued to chant “shame on you” during her prayer.
Those protesting are still upset with Taylor’s vote two years ago against the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. As she turned to leave Taylor said the protesters displayed an attitude of divisiveness. “We won’t always agree on everything but I think we all should agree that all humans are deserving of respect and dignity and that’s what I’ve always conveyed. Just because I may not agree on whatever doesn’t mean I don’t believe what happened was absolutely horrific, terrible, wrong,” she said.
Activist JoedyYglesais was one of those shouting. “If I was one of the people that was killed and she showed up to speak, I would want someone to interrupt her,” he said.” I think it’s a slap in the face to the families that she, in my eyes, was using this as a political opportunity.”
Another attendee, Katherine Synthe, says this was neither the time or place for a protest and supports the mayor’s attendance. “Somebody had to reach out and say thank you, because she didn’t have to be here. She could have turned her back on us and say ‘I have to be somewhere else,’ but she chose to be here.
About 800 people attended and around a dozen or more protested.
Below: Live video of Mayor Taylor speaking to the press
