FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Dozens of residents from Fayetteville packed into a room at City Hall on Monday night (March 28), hoping to speak to Alderman John la Tour about his recent controversial comments about gender identity.
La Tour was accused of questioning a waitress’s gender at a local restaurant, while also offering to prove his gender by exposing himself.
He has continuously denied many of the claims, and has apologized for the way he handled the situation.
At a monthly meeting for ward four, La Tour was targeted by many who were offended by his actions.
The pro-LGBT rights group “For Fayetteville” is now circling a petition for a recall election.
“It isn’t just this situation,” said Laura Phillips, a member of For Fayetteville. “It is his patterns of ineptitude, his pattern of unpreparedness, his pattern of voting no just to vote no. And, he is not doing anything for ward four. He is an obstructionist.”
However, not everyone at the meeting felt the same.
“Political correctness has reached levels that are absurd,” said Paul Phaneuf, a supporter of La Tour. “I personally don’t think he did anything with the intentions of hurting anybody, or rousing anybody up.”
Phaneuf was one of the few who spoke in favor of La Tour at the meeting, in comparison to those who called for La Tour’s resignation.
La Tour had very little to say during his responses to criticism, but he repeated his regret for posting his feeling about the situation online, and apologized for the comments he made.
Following the meeting, La Tour told 5NEWS he never considered not attending the monthly meeting.
“It was important for my citizens to see that I don’t back down, and I won’t quit,” La Tour said.