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NC Governor Boots Lesbian Council Member Off Commission Due to GOP Pressure

Her tweet calling police "homegrown terrorists" upset Republican senators, who sent a letter to Gov. Cooper.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has rescinded the appointment of Charlotte City Council member LaWana Mayfield, a queer woman of color, to a state commission on Wednesday following pressure from Republicans.

"The important work of the North Carolina Human Relations Commission needs to continue without distraction from its mission," William McKinney, the governor’s counsel, wrote Mayfield, according to The Charlotte Observer.

The paper had also criticized the appointment of Mayfield in an op-ed.

Jeff Hahne/Getty Images

CHARLOTTE, NC - NOVEMBER 06: North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Roy Cooper speaks during Get Out the Vote at The Fillmore Charlotte on November 6, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jeff Hahne/Getty Images)

Cooper speaks at a get out the vote event in Charlotte.

The decision came after all 29 Senate Republicans sent a letter to the governor asking him to withdraw the appointment, citing a tweet in which the council member called police "homegrown terrorists."

"Being Black in America under #45 (Donald Trump) has created homegrown terrorist [sic] wearing blue uniforms," she said.

"Do you agree that this type of violent, hateful rhetoric has no place in our political discourse, and certainly not on a commission that is intended to promote equality and justice in governmental services?" the senators asked.

"Your elevation of Council Member Mayfield to this commission raises questions about your administration’s stance toward law enforcement."

Mayfield also shared an article on social media last year that floated a 9-11 conspiracy theory, alongside which she wrote: "I am still waiting for someone to produce pieces of the alleged plane that opened the doors for US Citizens to loose all privacy rights (from the conspiracy theorist in me.)"

Additionally, she once tweeted out that she intended to shame politicians who use Grindr.

Mayfield has responded to the news on Facebook, reminding the public of the context of her tweet.

The LGBTQ Victory Institute criticized Cooper's decision in a statement:

We are extremely disappointed Governor Cooper took the important step of appointing a Black LGBTQ woman to the Human Relations Commission and then rescinded it due to pressure from the architects of HB2. For the state Senate Republicans to demand Councilwoman Mayfield be removed because of several controversial comments is the height of hypocrisy given the traumatic damage their policies—not words—have had on LGBTQ people and people of color in the state. Councilwoman Mayfield is a tireless fighter for the underserved communities the commission is meant to protect and her perspective and lived experience would be invaluable. With the unfortunate rescindment of her appointment, it is now essential Governor Cooper appoint someone who can provide the same insights into the lives of LGBTQ women of color.

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