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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. » The head of an anti-bullying group has applauded the decision of an Arkansas school board member to resign after posting on Facebook that he thinks gay youths should kill themselves.
Clint McCance, a member of the Midland school board in Pleasant Plains, about 70 miles northeast of Little Rock, announced his resignation Thursday night on CNN’s "Anderson Cooper 360." He said he was quitting "to help my school, my community," though he added that he might run again for the board at some point.
"The only thing I can do is extend my apologies for my poor speech," he said. "I don’t wish death on anyone."
McCance had scoffed in a Facebook posting at a campaign asking supporters to wear purple Oct. 20 to show solidarity after several gay and lesbian youths killed themselves, reportedly because of bullying.
"Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves," McCance wrote. "The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin."
In a follow-up response to Facebook users who criticized his comments, McCance wrote that he liked that gay people "can’t procreate (and) I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other AIDS and die."
In his interview on CNN, McCance said the language he had used on Facebook was "too harsh … too emotional." He also said he and his family had received "thousands of phone calls and hate mail" and that he had sent his family out of the state to protect them.
Jowharah Sanders, founder and executive director of the anti-bullying group National Voices for Equality, Education, and Enlightenment, noted the irony of that statement.
"His cyber-bullying has affected his family," Sanders said.
