NJ politician under fire for sharing meme that calls Easter eggs ‘aborted chicken babies that are painted in drag’

Egg-scuse me?

A New Jersey councilwoman is getting scrambled for sharing a meme that called Easter eggs “aborted chicken babies that are painted in drag” — with critics claiming the cuckoo post was anti-Christian.

Paula Gilligan, a councilwoman in the tiny Bergen County town of Glen Rock, said in a statement posted to the municipal website Sunday that she shared the apparently tongue-in-cheek, rainbow-colored meme to her Instagram stories because she was mocking pro-life “personhood” laws.

But the post — which said that “Easter eggs are aborted chicken babies that are painted in drag for small children to worship” — struck a nerve in the wealthy town of about 12,000 perched 20 miles northwest of Manhattan.

“This is the ‘Happy Easter’ message we get from Paula Gilligan,’” one person wrote in an Instagram response to Gilligan’s message, according to TAPinto Fair Lawn/Glen Rock.

“She represents a town filled with families from all religious backgrounds,” the post continued. “Will she post any other messages disrespecting other faiths, or is her hate only towards Catholics?”

In her statement, the councilwoman said her personal Instagram posts don’t constitute “the official views, opinions or beliefs of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Glen Rock.”

“To those who feel it mocks your holiday traditions, that was not my intention,” Gilligan said.

But she also defended her actions, and said the legal language of personhood “would codify the dangerous notion that from the moment of fertilization, an egg should be legally recognized as a person with full constitutional rights.

“This legislation supports an extremist political position that I disagree with,” Gilligan wrote. “It is my personal opinion that people have the right to control their bodies and their lives.”

The same day, the entire Borough Council issued what seemed to be a damning statement that apologized for Gilligan’s post — except it was also bizarrely signed by the councilwoman herself.

“We all feel very strongly that everyone’s religious beliefs and traditions must be treated with respect.,” the statement said. “They should not be the subject of jokes or inflammatory social media posts.”

“That is even more true when the social media post is made by an elected official, because we are here to represent and support all Glen Rockers of all religious beliefs and backgrounds,” it continued. “We understand how important Easter and the symbols of Easter are to the many Glen Rockers who celebrate.

“We believe strongly that Glen Rock should be an inclusive community that celebrates and honors everyone’s religious beliefs and traditions” the statement added. “This includes Christianity as well as all of the other religions represented in town.”

But the townspeople were not satisfied, and launched an attack on Gilligan on the borough’s Facebook page.

“Although her post came across as a complete mockery of religion, I’m also concerned that one of our elected official has such a tremendous lack of social-emotional intelligence,” wrote one user. “Politics aside, she’s clearly not fit to make decisions for our town.”

“As a Christian, I find the statement posted about ‘Easter eggs’ deeply offensive and disrespectful,” complained another Facebooker.

“They are not in any way related to aborted chicken babies, and suggesting such a thing is both factually incorrect and insensitive.”

But even as many other townspeople called for Gilligan’s resignation, a few remained sympathetic.

“What about one of Jesus’s greatest teachings, forgiveness?” asked one user.

Gilligan declined to comment Wednesday when reached by The Post.

The furor is just another turn in what’s been a strange few months for the typically quiet town.

In February, Glen Rock police investigated a reported bias incident after a Starbucks sign on the town’s main drag was covered in red paint and littered with stickers “referencing the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict,” according to News12.

A week earlier, local school officials sent a letter to parents saying that someone had drawn a swastika inside a science lab drawer at Glen Rock High School.

The police chief said the incidents didn’t seem to be related.