Oklahoma Town's First Openly Gay Mayor Resigns After Harassment, Threats: 'I No Longer Feel Safe to Serve'

Mayor Adam Graham/Facebook

The first openly gay mayor of The Village has resigned only two months after being elected due to escalating threats and harassment.

In an open letter shared on Twitter Monday, Adam Graham said it was "an honor to serve and it's my great privilege to break boundaries" but that he no longer felt "safe to serve in my capacity as Mayor."

Graham, who was elected as The Village mayor in May and previously served as a city councilmember, wrote, "Since 2018, I've fought against ageism, racism and homophobia at every step. I was proud that The Village was ready for a young voice and for new ideas."

"Unfortunately, certain elements of the population have recently become emboldened to pursue threats and attacks bordering on violence," he shared. "In the last month, I've been followed home from meetings, threatened while walking my dog, harassed at Starbucks and have had my tires slashed."

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In his letter, Graham cited an May 28 incident in which he had an exchange with the police officers from Nichols Hills, a nearby town.

"This resulted from an incident two months ago where I stood up against Nichols Hill Police targeting The Village residents," he wrote. "I will never apologize for standing up for the people I was elected to serve. I will never understand why some officials are more concerned with representing the interests of Nichols Hills than the interests of their constituents."

During the incident, Graham told the officers to  "get out" and informed them that they could not give traffic tickets within the city limits of The Village, body cam footage obtained by NBC News.

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Graham concluded his message by noting that he could not continue to serve in the aftermath of the incident.

"Unfortunately, these malicious, bad-faith attacks are escalating and I no longer feel safe to serve in my capacity as Mayor," he shared. "It's with a heavy-heart that I tender my resignation effective immediately."

Graham now plans to return to being a private citizen who "will work to make sure the best possible people are elected to service in city government."