Jay Linn, the owner of Northridge Auto Parts and Repair, has resigned from his position as president of Olmstead Falls city council following complaints about a sign outside of his business.
The sign was erected in early February, and contained the message 'If you don't know who you identify as, pull down your pants and look'. The business, and Linn himself, quickly attracted complaints on social media, with people labelling the message as being transphobic in nature.
At the time Linn replied by saying, 'There's no malice in the sign. It's just making the point why does everybody want to be someone else and draw attention to them, be who you are and be happy with who you are.
'I'm a believer that when god put you here, he put you here as what you are.'
Over the following weekend a number of people stood outside of Linn's business in protest, holding their own signs that condemned the message.
Linn announced on Thursday 9th February that he would be resigning from his position on the local city council due to the reaction he had received over the sign.
'I resigned because the major and I don't share the same views.' He told local news stations. Linn has claimed that since placing the sign he has been attacked by LGBT+ groups, received death threats towards himself and his family, and been told that his business will be blown up. Linn has not, however, filed any police reports regarding any of these claims.
'I haven't filed police reports. The police are going to do absolutely nothing,' He complained. 'I shut my Facebook page down. I'm not going to respond to any more comments. I serves for 30 years on three different boards and commissions. I won't bend to any special group.
'My sign meant, why can't these people be satisfied with what god put them on earth as? Why do they have to re-identify? Why can't they be satisfied with what they are truly brought into the world as?
'You're looking at non-political correctness right here, I am non-political correctness because I don't give a rats rear end about political correctness.'
When speaking about the matter to a number of news sources Linn was questioned about the sign by trans woman Rissa Trent, who said; 'I questioned him on his position on the City Council. I said, you're supposed to represent everyone in your city, how can you be impartial when you hate a portion of your community? He started screaming on the air with, how dare I bring it up.'
Linn has now resigned from his council position, saying that he and the mayor do not share the same views and that he does not agree with the agendas that she is currently pushing forward.
'I've turned in my resignation letter due to you evil sick people.' He posted on his Facebook page. 'I'm done serving the community that includes you after 30 years. The mayor has my resignation letter, why don't you email her and ask her for a copy of it. Once again, you are a sick bunch to try and desecrate a person that serves the community for 30 years that includes you.'
