A Newberry city commissioner is under fire after he shared a meme on his personal Facebook page mocking the women’s marches that took place across the country Saturday.
The meme, which depicted two female protesters, said “Donald Trump got more fat women walking in one day than Michelle Obama did in eight years.”
Commissioner Ricky Coleman, who shared the post Sunday evening, said on Tuesday he was exercising his First Amendment rights and understood the photo took “a conservative side.”
In the days following Coleman’s post, more than 90 Facebook comments, both criticizing and supporting his message, were made.
“I just thought it was funny and I forwarded it. That’s just as cut and dry as it could be buddy -- I mean sister,” Coleman said, defending himself. “I didn’t even make a comment on it.”
As of press time, Coleman’s account appears to have been deleted.
Jeremiah Tattersall, a union liaison for the Alachua County Labor Coalition and volunteer for Gainesville: City of Resistance, said Commissioner Coleman is deflecting attention from the message of the women’s marches.
“This is literally the largest protest in U.S. history,” the 30-year-old said. “The fact that he needs to belittle it by fat shaming and making fun of women just shows how insecure he is in how much opposition there is to Trump and his agenda.”
Tattersall said while Coleman has the right to say or share whatever he wants, he should be held to a higher standard as an elected official.
“He’s allowed to post whatever he wants,” Tattersall said. “He could post Nazi propaganda on there too, but it’s also everyone else's freedom of speech to challenge him on that.”
Coleman, however, was quick to defend himself, noting he is not anti-woman since he has females in his family.
“I have a wife, I have a daughter, I have all of these people in my life that are women, and I’m getting hate,” he said.
The post was defended by fellow Newberry City Commissioner Tim Marden, who owns Space Walk, an inflatable toy rental service in Gainesville.
“It’s just absolutely ridiculous,” Marden said. “He has the right to put what he wants on his private Facebook page.”
Marden said those opposed to the post are trying to publicly shame Coleman by hiding behind their keyboards.
“Last time I checked it was still a free country,” he said.
On Tuesday morning, a woman who said she marched on Saturday emailed Marden about the comment and called for Coleman’s resignation.
“I am truly appalled at Commissioner Coleman's (Facebook) post mocking women. Not only is that unprofessional, it is horrifying that an elected official would stoop to such levels. I marched along with over 3 million other people throughout the world, including men and children, who believe that all people deserve respect and dignity and equal rights. Commissioner Coleman could learn a lot from them,” the poster, Barbara Venkataraman, wrote.
She continued: “Since Mr. Coleman doesn't respect women, he cannot represent their interests and he should immediately resign.”
In a response that was soon criticized online, Marden wrote: “He is allowed to have a private life correct? And maybe you need to have a sense of humor snowflake.”
@molly_vossler
mvossler@alligator.org
