I am a transgender individual living in Ward 3 of Johnstown, NY. Every day, I experience the pain of discrimination as people hurl slurs at me from their cars while I simply try to go about my daily life. This is hard enough without our own representative, John E. Callery, publicly making discriminatory comments against transgender individuals.

Recently, Mr. Callery was caught on camera screaming derogatory remarks about transgender people at Partner's Pub - a place that should be safe and welcoming for all members of our community. His actions not only display an unacceptable level of prejudice but also undermine his ability to represent all constituents fairly.

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), nearly one in ten LGBTQ+ individuals have been verbally harassed due to their gender identity or sexual orientation in the past year alone (HRC Annual Report). As public servants, it is crucial that our representatives work towards reducing this statistic rather than contributing to it.

We are calling on the Board of Supervisors to put Mr. Callery on leave immediately until an investigation can be conducted into his conduct and appropriate action taken based on its findings.

His blatant discrimination has no place in public service where he is supposed to represent all residents equally – regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

Please sign this petition if you believe that everyone deserves equal representation and respect from their elected officials – including those who identify as transgender.