TARPON SPRINGS — Religious activists from outside the city turned out at the June 9 City Commission meeting to denounce Mayor John Koulianos for signing a proclamation that congratulated a hometown native on his marriage to another man.
The mayor was unbowed. He defended the gesture, said he would do it again and announced that the commission would read an LGBTQ proclamation at its next meeting.
“Next week they better brace themselves, because we’re reading the LGBTQ proclamation,” Koulianos said during commission comments. “So that’s coming, and I’m not shying away from any of that.”
The objectors were drawn to the meeting after a Tarpon Springs resident circulated a copy of the proclamation and sent it to the city clerk, objecting to Koulianos attending the wedding and giving the document to a longtime friend whose family has deep roots in the city. The recipient, who grew up in Tarpon Springs, now lives in New York City.
During public comments, Victor McCloskey, pastor of a church in Elfers, said he appreciates other proclamations, such as one for Juneteenth, but objects “when we make proclamations about sin and homosexuality, which is against the Bible, against what these United States were built upon. We were built upon righteousness.”
Allan Siders of Clearwater told commissioners, “It’s come to my attention that there’s been a proclamation in this city, by this mayor, endorsing and supporting and approving of homosexuality.” He then read aloud from the Bible, including passages stating that the wrath of God is revealed against “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” and that those who commit such acts “are worthy of death.”
“The Bible says you’re worthy of death and you need to repent,” Siders said. “You’re in trouble with God. You’re not of God, you’re of the devil.”
“That’s the problem today — people don’t abide in the truth,” he added. “If you want the truth to set you free, then you need to forsake your evil, wicked way. God calls you evil, God calls you wicked, God calls you an abomination. ... Renounce that and get right with God yourself, because right now you’re perishing.”
Tory Hough, a Tarpon Springs pastor, offered a counterpoint, telling commissioners that “God does not call us to judge anyone.” She cited Jesus’ command to love God “with all your heart” and to “love your neighbor as yourself,” along with a passage from Peter that “love covers a multitude of sins.”
“I will say, as a resident of this community, I do not appreciate outsiders coming in and telling my elected officials what they should and should not do,” Hough said. “I appreciate you loving all and serving all with your governmental proclamations. Thank you for representing all, regardless of their faith or no faith, because that is what you have been elected to do.”
Commissioner Lori Weaver said she was troubled by the objections. “I’m so disappointed that we still harbor such bad feelings about our friends and neighbors. I’m baffled,” she said. “I disapprove of that kind of rhetoric. There’s no place for it here. We just need to live and let live.”
Koulianos said the proclamation was a personal gesture. “I’m the ceremonial head of the town. I read and sign proclamations all the time,” he said. “Proclamations are just opportunities to make people feel better in a lot of ways, and I’m more than happy to do it.”
He recounted the recipient’s background. Nick George grew up in Tarpon Springs, graduated from Tarpon Springs High School and went on to work in biochemistry for pharmaceutical companies before becoming a lawyer. His father owned a bar called Charlie’s and died when George was a teenager.
“He’s a very accomplished man, and he’s gay,” the mayor said. “He has had his partner for 30 years.”
“He waited, because getting married was not legal until sometime recently for gay couples,” Koulianos said. “And he also didn’t want the repercussions that would come onto his mother while she was still alive here in Tarpon Springs, because as good as we are, you can see we sometimes can be judgmental. And that’s not just Tarpon Springs, that’s everywhere.”
The mayor said he was invited to the wedding. “I have known Nick for a long time, and I value his friendship,” he said. As a gift, he decided to present a proclamation of congratulations from George’s hometown.
“I couldn’t have given them anything that would have made them happier,” Koulianos said. “Nick cried — and he’s a strong guy — and he cried because he said, ‘I never thought that the city, that anybody from Tarpon Springs, would ever acknowledge me, because I was gay.’”
“Here’s a guy that’s so accomplished, with Ph.D.s and law degrees and a partner in one of the most prestigious firms in the world, and he said that his town, that should be super proud of him, won’t be proud of him,” the mayor said.
Koulianos said he did not post the proclamation on social media. “I just wanted to make him feel good. That’s all I did,” he said. “I’ll do it again, unless this board wants to make a motion and resolution to limit what I sign. ... That’s what I’ve tried to do as mayor: make us a happier, healthier community.”
He said someone texted a copy of the proclamation to the city clerk. “If the point is an ‘I gotcha’ on me, go do all your ‘I gotchas,’ because there’s nothing you can do to me. Trust me, I’m way tougher than that,” he said. “What you did was you tried to embarrass this person, who should be honored in this community and not made to feel lesser.”
“I did it, I’ll do it again, and I’ll do it again,” he said. “You got a year and 10 months — unless this board chooses to limit my ability to do it, I’ll do it.”
He said he had anticipated the backlash. “I had a feeling this fiasco was going to happen tonight,” he said.
It remains to be seen whether the objectors will return to comment on the LGBTQ proclamation at the next meeting.