A Northern California community is taking a stand against one of its officials.
People came out to tell Dixon Vice Mayor Ted Hickman, face to face, that the way he thinks and writes about gay people is out of line.
They also say his words are not representative of the community or its values.
They came with their flags, colorful costumes, and even the Snow Cone machine.
The message coming from hundreds both in-and-out of the council chambers is Vice Mayor Hickman needs to resign.
“Elected officials need to be a representative of the entire community,” Protester Anthony St. Amant said.
The outrage comes after Hickman called for Straight Pride America month in his column in the local paper.
He went on to write, “We are different from them…We work, have families (and babies we make) and don’t flaunt our differences dressing up like fairies (sic)…”
Hickman addressed the chamber. saying it’s his right to express his opinion.
“I didn’t give up my First Amendment right when I became an elected official,” Hickman said.
Police added an increased presence.
However, those gathered in this small agricultural community stayed peaceful while pushing back.
“It’s typical Ted,” Dixon Independent Voice Columnist Michael Ceremello said. “He has a very strange sense of humor.”
Ceremello works with Hickman at the Dixon Independent Voice and says this isn’t the first time the vice mayor has caused controversy.
“He does blonde jokes,” Ceremello said. “People don’t like the blonde jokes. We’ve lost advertisers over that, but that’s just his style.”
While not apologizing, Hickman says he does regret referring to himself as vice mayor in his explosive column.
“I would not use the words, sarcastically or not, of vice mayor, because I see that may be unacceptable to some,” Hickman said.
The four other council members, including the mayor, all spoke out against Hickman.
Two of them asked the city attorney to come up with a list of disciplinary actions they can take against him.
Hickman has been writing columns for 14 years and will have another one in the paper published on Friday.