Photo: Mayor Adam Graham/Facebook
The first openly gay mayor of The Village has resigned only two months after being elected due to escalating threats and harassment.
In anopen lettershared on Twitter Monday, Adam Graham said it was “an honor to serve and it’s my great privilege to break boundaries” but that he no longer felt “safe to serve in my capacity as Mayor.”
Graham, who was elected as The Village mayor in May and previously served as a city councilmember, wrote, “Since 2018, I’ve fought against ageism, racism and homophobia at every step. I was proud that The Village was ready for a young voice and for new ideas.”
“Unfortunately, certain elements of the population have recently become emboldened to pursue threats and attacks bordering on violence,” he shared. “In the last month, I’ve been followed home from meetings, threatened while walking my dog, harassed at Starbucks and have had my tires slashed.”
“This resulted from an incident two months ago where I stood up against Nichols Hill Police targeting The Village residents,” he wrote. “I will never apologize for standing up for the people I was elected to serve. I will never understand why some officials are more concerned with representing the interests of Nichols Hills than the interests of their constituents.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
“Unfortunately, these malicious, bad-faith attacks are escalating and I no longer feel safe to serve in my capacity as Mayor,” he shared. “It’s with a heavy-heart that I tender my resignation effective immediately.”
Graham now plans to return to being a private citizen who “will work to make sure the best possible people are elected to service in city government.”
source: people.com
