Mayor Anthony Williams demanded an apology Wednesday from a controversial pastor for his disparaging comments about gay men, but then had to apologize himself after uttering a religious expletive.
Bishop Alfred A. Owens Jr., pastor of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Northeast, last month told his congregation it “takes a real man to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior,” not a “faggot or sissy,” the Washington City Paper reported. Owens then called on the straight men in his audience to “Come on down here and walk around and praise God that youare straight.”
During his weekly press briefing, Williams said he was “shocked, saddened, disappointed all at once” with the Owens, one of six honorary members of the mayor’s Interfaith Council. The mayor said he is reaching out to Owens and will demand an apology, or “otherwise we’ll have to discontinue that relationship.”
But a few minutes later, it was the mayor apologizing.
Political commentator Mark Plotkin was pestering Williams about whether he would contact President Bush or his chief of staff to lobby for a House voting rights bill.
Williams responded: “Look, Mark, goddamn it. Everybody tries to reach the president. I’m just being realistic, OK? If I’m not able to reach the president, then what am I going to do, just take my marbles and go home?”
The mayor quickly recanted his remark, saying it is inappropriate to use “goddamn it” both publicly and as a Christian man.
“I apologize to the faith community,” he said. “I shouldn’t have used that term.”
Interfaith Council honorary members
» Bishop Alfred Owens, Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church
» Rev. Dr. H. Beecher Hicks, Metropolitan Baptist Church
» Rev. Donald Isaac, East of the River Clergy Police Community Partnership
» Bishop Adam J. Richardson, African Methodist Episcopal Church
» Bishop John R. Schol, Baltimore-Washington Conference United Methodist Church
» Rev. Dr. Wallace C. Smith, Shiloh Baptist Church
