The vice mayor is Black, Latina, and a lesbian — and this California town is freaking out

The vice mayor of Richmond, California has been the target of racially-charged and homophobic taunts from opponents who now accuse her of wanting to stifle their free speech rights, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

According to the Chronicle, the vitrol directed at Jovanka Beckles, a lesbian who identifies as a Black Latina, has been a fixture at local city council meetings since her election four years ago. During a meeting last month, one member of the public, identified as Mark Wassberg, was seemingly bragging about the council allowing him the right to berate Beckles over her sexual orientation.

“I’m going to keep coming up here and tell you how gays have no morality,” he was quoted as saying. “You’re filth. You’re dirt. Because I have the constitutional right to say it.”

KTVU-TV also reported last month that critics have called for Beckles to resign after video came to light of her telling a local minister, Rev. Kenneth Davis, to “get out of [her] f*cking face,” and calling other hecklers “bullies” and “women abusers.”

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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/05/the-vice-mayor-is-black-latina-and-a-lesbian-and-this-california-town-is-freaking-out/