Former mayor of The Village: 'I hope my story will open minds, hearts'
As the youngest and first openly gay mayor of The Village, I’m grateful to my constituents for putting their faith in me to serve. I regret that upsetting circumstances prevented me from fulfilling my role, but I hope my story will open the minds and hearts of people who hear it.
I made the difficult decision to resign from the mayorship after experiencing retaliation that distracted me from my duties. I was followed home from meetings, verbally harassed and threatened, and had my tires slashed. I was the subject of jokes and abuse by anti-LGBTQ politicians. The truth is no one should have to fear for their safety simply for being themselves and trying to do the right thing, but that’s what I faced. Stepping down from the job I loved was the most difficult decision I’ve made.
The reality is that LGBTQ residents, people of color, women and other marginalized groups of people still face unacceptable levels of discrimination in our home state, and the harms are exacerbated in small towns and rural areas. And after enduring a years-long pandemic, a national racial reckoning and mounting tensions about the future, our nation is suffering from extreme polarization that is pitting us against one another and causing fear and misunderstanding. Across the country, lawmakers have introduced record-high numbers of anti-LGBTQ bills. Harassment and violence are on the rise. As one of only six openly LGBTQ elected officials in Oklahoma, I know personally that there is still too much unfamiliarity around what it means to be gay, and it’s an impediment to our ability to grow and become stronger. I believe if we don’t have more conversations and empathy, we won’t be able to keep moving in the right direction.
Most importantly, I continue to have big hopes and dreams for this community. I believe in the Golden Rule of treating others as I would want to be treated and encouraging people to remember we have more in common than we have differences. I’ve met so many new and inspiring people during my five years on council that I’m confident that the small but vocal minority who caused me harm will continue to be in the minority. The majority of us agree that taking care of our families, improving our economy and contributing to the greater good will make us stronger — not tearing one aother down or spewing hate on social media.
I’m excited to embark on other opportunities to contribute to making The Village and the state of Oklahoma a kinder, more welcoming home for all. I was glad to do this in my capacity as vice mayor and member of the city council over the past few years. There’s nothing I care about more than service. I’m committed to doing my part, and there is no doubt in my mind we can only move forward, not backward.
Adam Graham is the former mayor of The Village.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Adam Graham: Why I resigned from mayor of The Village, Oklahoma
