Owatonna mayor, LGBTQ group make amends after Pride controversy

The mayor of Owatonna has made peace with a local LGBTQ group a month after it called for his resignation over what they viewed as homophobic and discriminatory actions.

In a statement released Friday, Thomas Kuntz acknowledged the comments and questions he publicly made leading up to a Pride Day on July 8 may have caused some people to feel harassed and intimidated. Kuntz wrote in the statement he wanted Owatonna to feel "safe, welcome and supported."

"I am committed to upholding these values," he wrote. "And I will do so while doing my best to learn about all the diversity we have here so we make sure everyone is included in that sense of ownership and protectedness."

Kuntz, who has been Owatonna's mayor since 2004, could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Nathan Black of Rainbowatonna wrote a public letter to the Owatonna City Council last month accusing Kuntz of using his elected position to harass and intimidate people involved in Owatonna's Pride celebration.

The celebration included a service at Associated Church in the morning, festivities at Morehouse Park Pavilion in the afternoon and a drag show after-party at the Owatonna Arts Center. Organizers initially booked Torey's Restaurant and Bar to host the drag show, but switched venues after Torey's management grew concerned about safety issues stemming from complaints they received.

In the letter, Black said Kuntz spoke to pastors at Associated Church about two weeks before the service, where he acted upset and asked several "bizarre" questions, including whether there would be stripper poles in the sanctuary.

Kuntz later spoke with the manager of Torey's, which Black found out about after the drag show took place.

While the events went well, Black said he wasn't concerned about the mayor's behavior until he found a photo Kuntz posted last month on social media of a prayer he wrote.

In the prayer, Kuntz asked for wisdom in the face of upcoming public events "where sin and brokenness will be celebrated and where sexually explicit acts will be normalized." Kuntz didn't mention a specific event but does call for prayer over the next few weeks "until July 8."

Black's letter drew state and national attention after Kuntz confirmed parts of it in an interview with the Owatonna People's Press. Kuntz also told the People's Press he felt God would not approve of homosexuality and drag shows.

Kuntz said in his statement the attention was challenging, but paled in comparison with "what some of our community members, neighbors, and especially young people, have experienced every day of their lives."

Rainbowatonna, Kuntz and the city's Alliance for Greater Equity met several times in recent weeks to discuss the controversy. The groups and Kuntz have pledged to work together on future community awareness events and opportunities to educate the public on LGBTQ issues.

Black said he feels the controversy has helped highlight rural LGBTQ issues, which he feels Rainbowatonna members can help address in the coming months along with city officials.

"We feel confident that we can do the work that we're going to do for the community without worrying about interference with our elected officials," Black said Friday.