Bigoted Official Tells Hispanic Kids: ‘Do Something Useful…So You Don’t Have to Live Off Others’

Racist, Homophobic Austin Councilman Don Zimmerman Faces Progressive, Gay Challenger in November

A Texas official known for anti-gay bigotry demonstrated Thursday that he’s also a racist.

Austin City Councilman Don Zimmerman, who narrowly defeated an openly gay opponent two years ago after comparing homosexuality to pedophilia, told a group of mostly Hispanic children during a council meeting to “do something useful … so you don’t have to live off others.” 

The children had accompanied their parents to City Hall to push for continued funding of after-school programs at public schools, according to a report from The Austin Statesman. Following the debate, Councilwoman Sheri Gallo asked the children to promise that when they turn 18, they’ll register to vote. 

Then Zimmerman chimed in. 

“I’d ask for everyone here, including the children, when you grow up, I want to ask you to pledge to finish school, learn a trade, a skilled trade, get a college education, start a business, do something useful and produce something in your society so you don’t have to live off others,” Zimmerman said. 

Boos erupted form the audience, and Councilwoman Delia Garza quickly condemned Zimmerman’s comments. 

“We do not condone what he said,” Garza said, as the boos turned to applause. “We have your back, not just the ones that are brown or black on this council. There are other progressive members of this council that understand you and support you.”

Zimmerman’s remarks also sparked outrage on Twitter, including from a state House candidate and another council member: 

Zimmerman later doubled down on his comments in a statement provided to KXAN-TV. 

“On behalf of those non-subsidized taxpayers being forced out of our city by legions of special interests, I apologize for the greed and selfishness of those willing to expand city government force, through the ‘political process’ to maintain and increase their own subsidies at the unaffordable expense of others,” Zimmerman said. 

Zimmerman was elected to the council in 2014, when he narrowly defeated Jimmy Flannigan, the former president of Austin’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce. During the race, the anti-LGBT group Texas Values Action attacked Flannigan for supporting same-sex marriage as well as an ordinance requiring single-stall restrooms to be gender-neutral: 

In 2013, Zimmerman wrote a column opposing same-sex marriage for Texas Insider  in which he traced homosexuality to the Cretans who lived circa 1650 B.C. and “celebrated the practice of harpagmos – the ritual kidnapping of a noble boy by an adult male of the aristocratic class.” 

Flannigan, who’s running against Zimmerman again in November, responded to Zimmerman’s comments on Facebook on Friday morning: 

 

To support Flannigan’s campaign, go here. 

 

Image via Facebook