Bullying victims were suggested to "grow a pair" and "just stick up for them damned selves" by a central California mayor earlier his month, sparking immediate outrage among some city officials, UK MailOnline reported.
Cameron Hamilton, mayor or Porterville, California, made the comments during a city council meeting while discussing the issue of student safety.
A series of "Safe Zones" around town had been proposed, whereby children could seek refuge from bullies. Porterville is a community of 55,000 residents 70 miles southeast of Fresno.
"I'm against bullying but I'm getting damn tired of it being used as a mantra for everything, and the ills of the world," Hamilton said on the subject of the student led-program.
"Most people just have to grow a pair, and stick up for them damn selves."
Councilwoman Virginia Gurrola, who favored the concept of zones, responded, "It's hard to just 'grow a pair' when you're a 10-year-old girl."
Apart from causing outrage among fellow council members, Hamilton's remarks also angered gay rights advocates, Fox News reported.
Melissa McMurrey of Gay Porterville told KFSN-TV that she felt attacked by the mayor's comments. She said bullies often target young gay people.
"My feelings were really hurt and I was, essentially shocked by the end of it because it kind of felt like a little bit of a witch hunt, even though that was not the initial intention, from my understanding, of the Safe Zone project," she told Abc 30.
"It's an opportunity for the community to come together, as a whole, and say that we're not going to take this bullying in our town," she said.
Hamilton, who was elected mayor in 2008, cast the lone vote against further discussing the safety zones.
Although he is not anti-gay, he opposed the scheme because it would prove costly and expose the city to lawsuits if a Safe Zone became dangerous, he said.
The proposal has been pulled from discussion at next weeks' council meeting.
"Last year, the city was at the center of a flap when the council in a split vote replaced a proclamation declaring June as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride month with a resolution calling June a month of community charity and good will to all," Fox News reported. "Hamilton said he voted in favor of the change, wanting to include everybody."
