SAN ANTONIO: Homophobic City Council Member Elisa Chan Resigns

San Antonio City Councilwoman Elisa Chan, who was secretly recorded making anti-gay comments in advance of that city's vote on an anti-discrimination bill, has resigned in order to run for the Texas state legislature.

In a letter to Mayor Julián Castro and council members, Chan said she was proud of San Antonio and “what we have accomplished.” She reflected on her five years on council, saying: “I have done my best to represent the conservative values of these fine people. The people of this district take an active role in deciding policy, giving their input, volunteering their time and listening to the views of their neighbors,” she wrote. The date was chosen out of an abundance of caution, said Murphy, adding that Chan wanted to make sure there was ample time to pick her successor. She'll resign before council votes on a proposed rate increase for CPS Energy, scheduled for Nov. 7.

Chan plans to challenge a local Tea Party incumbent. (Tipped by JMG reader Frank)

Quote Of The Day - Elisa Chan

"The comments from the staff meeting on May 21st were and are my personal opinions and thoughts as guaranteed to me by the 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is unfortunate that a former member of my D9 Council team betrayed the trust of my staff members and me. I will fight, I will always fight for our freedom of speech, especially in a private setting." - San Antonio Councilwoman Elisa Chan, who was secretly recorded saying that gay people are "so disgusting" and other homophobic comments. (Tipped by JMG reader BearLuvva)

SAN ANTONIO: Councilwoman Secretly Recorded Making Homophobic Comments

From the My San Antonio news site:

“So disgusting!” That exclamation escaped the lips of District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan on May 21 in her City Hall office, where she was meeting with members of her staff to discuss the city's proposal to update its nondiscrimination ordinance, adding protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. In the course of the conversation, Chan expressed her unvarnished views on homosexuality, which range from befuddled to intolerant. She revealed that she believes being gay is a choice and that gay people should not be allowed to adopt children, and she voiced revulsion toward the LGBT community. Unbeknown to the councilwoman, an aide, James Stevens, was secretly recording the meeting on his iPhone. (He's now a former aide; Stevens, 28, quit this week.)

The most disgusting comments come from Chan's former chief of policy, Jeff Bazan, who backpedaled furiously today: "I was basically explaining the viewpoint that some people have on the gay marriage issue. What I said was wrong and I deeply regret it."

UPDATE: I've removed the audio player posted here as it was borking the template. I recommend you click over to Gawker and listen to the clip, if you can bear it.