Owatonna mayor faces pressure to resign or meet LGBTQ+ group’s demands after his comments on Pride

OWATONNA, Minn. (AP) — Members of an LGBTQ+ advocacy group are calling on the mayor of a southern Minnesota city to either meet their demands or resign.

That comes after Mayor Tom Kuntz, of Owatonna, asked pastors at a church that held a Pride event on July 8 if there would be stripper poles in the sanctuary. He also posted a public prayer alluding to “sin and brokenness” at the event.

Rainbowatonna, the LGBTQ+ group, says the mayor should issue an apology that “acknowledges the impact of his actions,” and appoint a member of their board to the city’s human rights commission. The group met with the mayor on Monday.