A St. Paul City Council member took to social media on Thursday to defend himself against accusations of homophobia after critics shared his old Facebook posts, including a post seemingly praising the government of Uganda for making homosexuality a crime.
“I’m a Muslim, and it’s very clear where I stand in my beliefs,” said Ward 6 Council Member Kassim Busuri, in an interview. “My job is to protect the rights of all of my constituents, no matter their sexual orientation, their race or their color. I will continue to do that, and I have done that.”
The accusations against Busuri surfaced Wednesday shortly after the council approved a resolution recognizing June as Pride Month, a celebration of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
The resolution, which noted that the month marks the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, was sponsored by six of the seven council members — everyone but Busuri, who joined the meeting after it was read into the record by Council Member Mitra Nelson and St. Paul resident Tyler Blackmon.
Busuri later said he learned of the resolution only minutes before it was presented to the council.
Later in the evening, Blackmon — a member of the city’s Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission — and other Facebook and Twitter users circulated screenshots of comments Busuri had made on social media over the past six years supportive of anti-gay efforts.
“It’s disappointing. And it’s pretty surprising, too,” Blackmon said, in an interview. “He was on the city’s Human Rights commission before he was appointed to the city council. It seems pretty clear the city council wasn’t aware (of his remarks) when they appointed him.”
In September 2013, Busuri shared a news article on his Facebook page noting that the makers of Pasta Barilla had taken an anti-gay stance and the CEO had urged gay customers who were offended by it to buy other brands.
Busuri captioned the post, “Guido Barilla said Wednesday on an Italian radio show, ‘I would never do an advert with a homosexual family.’ I have to go buy some Pasta Barilla now.”
In February 2014, Busuri shared a news article on his Facebook page noting the president of Uganda had signed a bill into law against homosexuality. In the post, Busuri stated, “That’s why I am going back to Uganda.”
The legislation, which was later annulled by the courts, carried a potential punishment of life imprisonment for men convicted of having gay sex.
In February 2015, Busuri posted to Facebook that he had run into an old acquaintance. “(I’m) no homo, but he looked great,” Busuri wrote.
Hey @KassimBusuri, I’d love to hear an explanation for why you didn’t sponsor the LGBTQ Pride/Stonewall resolution today for the City Council. I was 100% willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, but now I’m… concerned. pic.twitter.com/Hkk0kHPobp
— Tyler Blackmon (@TylerBlackmon) June 20, 2019
In an interview Thursday, Busuri said he never discriminated against anyone.
“My religious beliefs are very clear about homosexuality, but it’s my duty to protect others,” Busuri said. “Those who are attacking me, I see it as Islamophobic, attacking me for my religious beliefs.”
Busuri, who was appointed by the council this year to complete the unexpired term of Dan Bostrom, is a declared candidate for the Ward 6 seat in the November election. The seat represents a large section of the East Side.
In a Facebook post on his “Neighbors for Busuri” campaign page, Busuri called himself a defender of “the dignity of all human beings” and said he did not vote to support or oppose the council resolution regarding Pride Month.
He wrote: “It is true, I did not take a picture with some of my colleagues and a rainbow flag nor did I vote or speak for or against an ordinance recognizing the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. What is also true is that I am Muslim and I believe in the dignity of all human beings and that no one should be persecuted for their faith, values, beliefs, or who they are.”
Busuri, in his social media post, noted he is the only black person on the council and the only Muslim. He went on to say that as a lead organizer with the city’s Community Ambassadors effort, he had once risked his life to step between a group of young people who seemed intent on assaulting two police officers, defusing the situation.
He wrote: “Ask yourself what kind of leader do you believe our community should have? One who wraps themselves in a rainbow flag, a person-of-color flag, or whatever the flag-of-the-day is for political gain or one who acts in the best interest of humanity and is willing to give of their life for another.”
Council Member Chris Tolbert on Thursday said Busuri’s rationalization was not enough.
“Actions speak louder than words, and his refusal to stand up for … our LGBTQ community speaks volumes, despite whatever explanations he offers,” Tolbert said.
OutFront Minnesota, the state’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization, issued a statement Thursday saying they had reached out to Busuri hoping for an apology, but “no apology was received.”
Samuel Doten, a spokesman for Stonewall DFL, said the LGBTQ and youth caucuses of the DFL planned to release statements condemning Busuri’s past statements in advance of the citywide DFL convention this Sunday.
Nick Woltman contributed to this report.