Councilman attends Pride Parade despite controversy

A Phoenix city councilman who made controversial remarks about the LGBTQ last month took part in the Phoenix Pride parade on Sunday.

Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who is openly gay, is outraged Councilman Michael Nowakowski decided to participate in the event.

"You have a lot of people out here who supported him, we have a lot of people out here who contributed to his campaign, worked on his campaign, he owes them an explanation," Gallardo said.

He says Nowakowski owes the LGBTQ community some answers before coming to an event like the parade. In early March nowakowski was recorded while speaking to Christian pastors, making comments that many said were anti-LGBTQ.

"I never thought I'd see the day that men and men would be married," he was heard saying in the video. "Or where people would be able to go into the same bathroom as my daughter." He went on to say, "This world is changing. it's time for us to take the leadership and change it back to the way it should be"

"We want answers," Gallardo says. "We want to know exactly where he stands on the issues of same sex marriages, we want to know where he stands on employment and non-discrimination, we want to know where he stands on adoption for same sex couples."

Nowakowski has since said he regrets his comments, but refused to resign from his position.

People taking to the parade had mixed feelings about his appearance.

"Sometimes people say things and think one way and then they step back and they think about what they said or they think a lttle bit deeper on the supject, so we should all be allowed to recant or maybe adjust ourselves," says Jeff Brown, who attended the Phoenix Pride parade.

"I think he's backtracking on what he said and now he's trying to show up here to undo what he already said," says Daniel Orozco who attended the event. "But it's pretty clear he wasn't supporting the community a few days ago, now you can't show up and just take it all back."