May 4, 2020

Trenton, NJ Councilwoman Flies into Wild Homophobic Diatribe Against Out Mayor

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 3 MIN.

Trenton, NJ Councilwoman Robin Vaughn flew into a rancorous, anti-LGBTQ diatribe directed at the city's openly gay mayor and also at another council member during a conference call, reports UK newspaper the The Independent, only for her comments – which were recorded –- to be released to the public.

Vaughn's jeremiad lasted ten minutes, news sources said, and included slurs directed at openly gay mayor Mayor Reed Gusciora, whom she called, without grounds, a "pedophile" and "bitch ass," reported local news outlet NJ.com.

Vaughn also directed abusive language at fellow council member Joe Harrison when he attempted to intervene. Media reports say that Vaughn can be heard in the recording telling Harrison, "Continue to suck Reed Gusciora's dick all you want to, motherfucker."

The recording of the conference call appeared at Twitter as well as being embedded in a local newspaper's article.

Vaughn further attacked Harrison by making personal remarks about his father. Harrison reportedly responded by saying, "Be careful what you say, ugly."

Harrison later clarified that he was referring to Vaughn's abusive behavior. The councilman called Vaughn's profane tantrum "embarrassing" for the city, adding that "Trenton does not need" such outbursts from its officials.

The May 2 meltdown was precipitated, NJ.com reported, by Mayor Gusciora making reference to social media comments Vaughn reportedly made about "a bunch of do-nothing organizations" getting money.

Vaughn reportedly ignited in a verbal frenzy of abuse, including telling Mayor Gusciora to "get the fuck out of office and get the fuck out of Trenton," The Independent reported.

According to the mayor, such outbursts are nothing new for the councilwoman. "This is pretty much par for the course, unfortunately, for the councilwoman," Mayor Gusciora told the media.

The mayor seemingly indicated that Vaughn follows in the better-known vitriolic footsteps of a current national leader, saying of the councilwoman, "She just spews out her hatred when she disagrees with what you have to say."

Vaughn drew controversy previously when she seemingly defended the Council President, Kathy McBride, after McBride used an anti-Semitic turn of phrase.

Vaughn apologized for that earlier incident, calling it "an error of my judgment," but her office did not respond for requests for comment about the May 2 diatribe, news sources said.

But Vaughn did take to Twitter to call for the full recording to be provided so that Trenton residents could listen and decide for themselves, reported city newspaper The Trentonian.

Tweeted Vaughn:

"Trentonians, since I don't have the privilege of having friends who are owners and/or editors of newspapers who will only write good things about me or my side of a story, then I will request the full audio or transcript be released so you, the residents and taxpayers of Trenton, will have the full context of the conference call."

The head of New Jersey LGTBQ advocacy group Garden State Equality, Christian Fuscarino, issued a statement in which he said:

"Councilwoman Vaughn is unfit to serve the people of Trenton.

"There's no need to parse words here: for her hateful anti-LGBTQ language and defending the anti-Semitic slurs of others, she must resign. Her words are an attack on the diversity of Trenton's community, the city's elected leadership, and our state as a whole."

Fuscarino added, "Any decent-minded New Jerseyan who believes in the success and future of our state's capital should denounce this hateful rhetoric and call for her to step down immediately."

The governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, also weighed in, echoing the call for Vaughn to resign, reported The Independent.

by Kilian Melloy

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