Screenshot / Metropolis of San Antonio
Pastor Patrick Jones speaks at Thursday’s council assembly.
Editor’s observe: This story was up to date to incorporate a written assertion from Councilman Manny Pelaez.
San Antonio Councilman Manny Pelaez is beneath hearth from a colleague for inviting a pastor with a reported historical past of anti-LGBTQ+ remarks to provide the invocation at Thursday’s council assembly.
That was the identical assembly at which council mentioned forming a everlasting LGBTQ+ metropolis advisory board and in addition issued a proclamation recognizing Trans Day of Visibility. The ordinance creating the board in the end handed with District 10 conservative Marc Whyte as the only real holdout.
Nonetheless, earlier than dialogue of the board received underway, District 8’s Pelaez — a possible mayoral candidate — invited Pastor Patrick Jones, who leads the East Aspect’s Larger Pilgrim Relaxation Baptist Church, to steer the session’s invocation.
“I am actually enthusiastic about our invocator in the present day,” stated Pelaez, who added that he was a “large fan.”
Jones made no reference to LGBTQ+ points throughout his prayer, as an alternative condemning violence and blessing these on the dais. Nonetheless, council’s solely LGTBQ+-identifying member, District 2’s Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, argued on social media that Jones has a historical past of constructing homophobic feedback, together with making alleged verbal assaults on McKee-Rodriguez for his sexuality.
In the course of the 2021 election cycle, McKee-Rodriguez accused Jones of telling his congregation that voting for the incumbent East Aspect councilman “is a sin” due to his sexuality, the Categorical-Information reported on the time.
Though Jones publicly denied these allegations, the every day reported that the pastor had known as homosexuality a sin in a since-deleted Fb publish.
“We as believers do not get upset once we learn or are preached to about varied sins, mendacity, stealing, fornication, adultery, and so on.,” Jones wrote within the 2021 publish cited by the Categorical-Information. “The Bible does declare homosexuality a sin. No matter what the legislation says. I feel if we are able to settle for our faults they need to too.”
In a Thursday morning tweet, McKee-Rodriguez trumpeted council’s plan to go the advisory board and acknowledge Trans Day of Visibility however known as it “tragic” {that a} colleague invited Jones to provide the invocation.
“Tragic day for one among my collegues to ask homophobic Patrick Jones to provide the invocation,” McKee-Rodriguez tweeted Thursday. “Yikes.”
Immediately, we’re formally establishing an LGBTQ+ Advisory Board by way of a brand new ordinance and ALSO recognizing Trans Day of Visibility with a proclamation!
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Tragic day for one among my colleagues to ask homophobic pastor Patrick Jones to provide the invocation. Yikes! pic.twitter.com/kLyNB0Br7d
— Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez 🇵🇸 (@theloserteacher) March 21, 2024
In an emailed assertion, Pelaez stated he was unaware of Jones’ social media feedback.
“Nonetheless, the prayer he delivered yesterday was about elected officers utilizing our authority to do the appropriate factor,” the councilman added. “I heeded his prayer by proudly voting to assist our LGBTQIA+ Advisory Board. I am grateful that Pastor Jones took time away from his work to wish for us.”
The invitation might yield unhealthy optics for Pelaez amongst San Antonio’s LGBTQ+ residents. Nonetheless, as of Friday at midday, it appeared that McKee-Rodriguez’s criticism was the one detrimental comment to this point aired on X, the social media platform previously referred to as Twitter.
Throughout current months, Pelaez additionally has come beneath hearth for his U-turn on holding a council vote whether or not to challenge a proposed Israel-Hamas ceasefire decision. Professional-Palestinian protesters shut down a January council assembly over the scrapped plans for such a vote.
On social media, McKee-Rodriguez has been among the many most vocal critics of Pelaez’s about-face on the ceasefire vote.
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