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The mayor of Sag Harbor Village on Long Island is standing firm amidst demands for his resignation following an alleged homophobic comment made on social media. Despite mounting pressure from fellow board members, Mayor Tom Gardella is refusing to step down.
The controversy erupted last month when Gardella reacted to a video posted by Rebecca Chavez, an animal rights activist from Texas. The clip featured Chavez, her wife Deanah, and their dog dancing to Jon Secada’s 1992 hit “Just Another Day.”
In response, Gardella commented, “What’s that thing in the background? A guy. A girl? Some creature?” His words have drawn widespread condemnation.
Since assuming office in July 2023, Gardella has faced a barrage of criticism over the remark, which is currently under investigation. Nevertheless, he remains resolute in his decision not to resign, according to a report by the Sag Harbor Express.
In a meeting on Tuesday, members of the Sag Harbor Village board urged Gardella to reconsider his stance and resign from his position.
“I will not resign from the office of mayor,” he said in Tuesday’s board meeting. “That is not going to happen. You have me confused with somebody else. I’m not the guy that runs from a crisis. I’m the guy who runs into it.
“The residents of this village came to me and asked me to lead them. And I hope I can lead us out of this mess and at some point be able to work together with the board.”
After sharing the video, Chavez, the CEO of the Yacqui Animal Rescue center, then spotted the alarming comment, telling News12, “Comparing someone to a creature or a thing kind of took me back a little bit, and that’s what made me dive a little bit deeper. It’s a little surreal.”
Chavez said the comment made her wife feel “lesser than a human being,” Newsday reported.
She then took a deeper dive, where she learned Gardella, who served in the US military as an imagery analyst during the Cold War, is the mayor of Sag Harbor.
She found the mayor’s Facebook page and the profile picture matched his private Instagram account.
“This is a Master Class in pettiness and accountability. If you’re going to comment mean things, please be prepared for the consequences,” she said.
“You are a Mayor for the city of Sag Harbor, New York. I would expect an elected official and Christian man like yourself to behave better. Maybe we need to send him a few emails to remind him that his behavior is unbecoming of a public servant.”
Gardella, an ex-fire chief involved with extinguishing the December 2016 Main Street blaze, apologized for the comment — but Chavez wasn’t convinced by its sincerity.
“They always make an apology after the fact,” she said.
“So for me, his apology is not genuine.”
Erica-Lynn Huberty, a resident, claimed Gardella’s apology was “disingenuous.”
“I don’t believe it for a minute. I think he’s sorry he got caught,” she told News12.
Deputy Mayor Edward Haye said the comment “disparaged members of the LGBT community.”
“Sag Harbor has long prided itself being a welcoming and a tolerant village, and those values deeply matter to us both as members of the village board and as residents,” he said.
“While the comment appears to have been made on a personal social media account, it has understandably caused concern and hurt within our community.”