St. Paul councilor urged to resign

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Some Minnesota’s Democrats are calling for a St. Paul City Council member to resign over anti-gay posts he made on Facebook in the past.

The LGBTQ and youth caucuses of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party plan to present a resolution at the party’s convention Sunday in St. Paul asking for Kassim Busuri to resign. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Busuri was appointed to represent Ward 6 in January.

Busuri said he has never discriminated against anyone and that he represents all his constituents regardless of sexual orientation, but he won’t apologize for his past statements.

“My religious beliefs are very clear about homosexuality, but it’s my duty to protect others,” said Busuri, who is Muslim. “Those who are attacking me, I see it as Islamophobic, attacking me for my religious beliefs.”

The posts came to light Wednesday after Busuri was the only council member not to support a resolution recognizing June as Pride Month.

In one 2014 post, Busuri said he was “going back to Uganda” after the African country approved a law criminalizing homosexuality.