North Kansas City leaders rebuke councilman’s comments linking LGBTQ people to pedophiles
Community activists and elected officials are continuing to condemn comments made by a North Kansas City councilman earlier this week as “out of touch,” “harmful” and an “embarrassment” after he compared sexual orientation to pedophilia during a hearing about a Pride Month inclusion initiative.
Councilman Wes Graves, 1st Ward, was addressing a proposal to create the “NKC United” pledge Tuesday night when he raised the lone voice of opposition. While saying he supported its intent, he said businesses and organizations choosing not to join could be harmed.
“Once you go down this road, where do you draw the line?” Graves said during the Tuesday meeting, his first in City Hall since being elected. “I mean, you could start bringing up pedophilia, Satan worshipers, etc. And once a city endorses something like this, we are talking about literally approaching places of worship and businesses as a city and having them make this pledge. And I don’t think this has any place in our city.”
Graves has since apologized, saying he is “not a bigot” as some have claimed in recent days and he supports the civil rights of LGBTQ people. But his comments were immediately shut down by his fellow council members during the meeting.
Council member Amie Clarke said the city’s campaign was just an effort at promoting inclusivity.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with pedophilia,” she said. “I hate when people have to default to that or satanism or whatever it may be.”
Clarke said she saw a sticker for the Human Rights Campaign when she moved into her neighborhood.
“For me, being a member of the LGBTQ community and not forcing that upon anybody, I felt safe immediately,” she said. “It’s a visual that says I’m safe here and I’ll be welcome here.”
Others in the Kansas City area also described Graves’s comments as harmful and offensive.
Northland Pride, an organization that serves the LGBTQ community in Clay and Platte counties, said the comments from Graves is the reason why their group was created and the group would continue to “combat harmful narratives designed to ignite violence against our LGBTQIA+ family.”
“We are saddened and appalled to learn that on Tuesday evening, North Kansas City council member Wes Graves publicly equated pedophilia with sexual orientation and the LGBTQIA+ community,” the group said in a written statement. “For decades, this false, homophobic, and transphobic rhetoric has been used to build fear and distrust of the queer community.”
Justice Horn, a community activist who was instrumental in the formation of neighboring Kansas City’s LGBTQ Commission, said Thursday Graves’s comments were “extremely disheartening” shortly after the city hoisted the pride progress flag.
“These comments are out of touch,” Horn said. “They’re uncalled for and should be condemned by the mayor as well as North Kansas City as a whole because I don’t think those statements represent the entire Northland and North Kansas City.
“But obviously, there’s still an education portion of this that still needs to be taught to the general public about what it means to be a part of the LGBTQ community,” he said. “It just shows for not only me, but the LGBTQ community at large is that we have a long a way for us to be seen as people.”
Kansas City First District Councilman Kevin O’Neill said he thought the comments Graves made were unacceptable.
“If you have those views then you shouldn’t be in public service,” said O’Neill whose district includes Clay County.
“It’s a slip of a tongue that has too much meaning.”
Members of the City Council reached by The Star said his comments were not representative of the city as a whole. They also said his words were hurtful, divisive and shameful during a time when the city is striving to showcase its diversity and welcoming attitude.
Clevenger, 3rd Ward, said the comments were “hurtful” and he doesn’t think Graves realized how his actions would be received.
But he stopped short of saying Graves should resign or be removed from office, saying the voters of his district should decide whether Graves should continue to represent them.
Councilman Anthony Saper, 1st Ward, expressed a similar viewpoint. He said whether Graves should continue to serve on the City Council is a matter for the voters who put him in office to decide. And as for whether Graves should be formally punished by the City Council, Saper said that remains to be seen.
“Depending on how his actions play out henceforth,” Saper said.
In an earlier statement, Mayor Bryant DeLong had said the words Graves used were not reflective of the city and they were “appalling” and “hurtful.”
This story was originally published June 17, 2021 at 4:53 PM.
