Yard signs for Scott Galvin's
congressional campaign have been vandalized with anti-gay slurs.
The openly gay North Miami councilman
is among the nine candidates fighting to win the August 24 Democratic
primary for Florida's 17th Congressional District. The
district's current representative, Democrat Kendrick Meek, is running
for the U.S. Senate.
About half-a-dozen yard signs in
northeast North Miami were found defaced with the word “fag” late
last week.
“I am deeply disappointed and
disgusted by the hateful and bigoted attacks directed at me and my
campaign for Congress,” Galvin
wrote on his campaign website.
“Bigotry cannot be tolerated. It's
always wrong regardless of the circumstances and this most recent
example only reinforces my profound personal commitment to equality
for everyone,” he added.
Galvin came out gay in 2004 and won
re-election to the city's council.
The winner of next month's primary is
expected to win the November 2 general election in this Democratic
stronghold. Galvin, who has the endorsement of the Gay
& Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that supports openly gay and
lesbian elected officials, is considered a strong candidate to win
the party's nomination.