LYNCHBURG, Va. – Tuesday night’s Lynchburg City Council meeting revolved around Vice Mayor Curt Diemer’s comparison of the current redistricting effort by Virginia Democrats to raping the Republicans, saying, “It is best not to wait until the rapist is done”.
The comparison to sexual assault brought four distraught speakers to the podium.
Rise Hays addressed the council in tears, recounting a sexual assault she endured.
“Because, despite it being over 15 years, I still remember the feeling. I still know the feeling of the sweat touching my skin,” Hays said as she criticized Diemer’s choice of words.
“Of all the words in the English language. Of all the metaphors and analogies that you could have chosen, you decided that the very best choice of words was that of a very violent and very personal attack by one person upon another,” said Dr. Beth White of Citizens United for Lynchburg.
The emotional pleas led to a contentious council debate, which flowed from the public comments about Diemer’s words, to a suggestion by some council members that he be punished by not allowing him to take a business trip to Chicago at the taxpayers’ expense.
The back and forth became so heated that Mayor Larry Taylor threatened to have councilman Marty Misjuns removed from council chambers.
“If you keep running your mouth...You are going out of here,” Taylor said.
Councilman Chris Faraldi later referred to Diemer’s language as “Vile. Deranged. Twisted, sick, sinister.” He continued, “I don’t care. It is disgusting to use those things to achieve a political end, Vice Mayor.”
Diemer, had doubled down on his words in Facebook postings. But during the meeting said he did not mean to use the term “rape” as a reference to sexual assault.
“I absolutely did stand by my statement,” Diemer said.
But a few minutes later, he apologized.
“People have jumped to the conclusion that my discussion about a criminal election was somehow a reference to something sexual. It Certainly wasn’t. If I offended anybody, I’m certainly sorry,” Diemer said.