Vice mayor of tiny California town facing recall over 'tongue-in-cheek' comments smearing 'prancing' LGBTQ community

Dixon, California's Vice Mayor Ted Hickman faces increasing outrage from residents after he wrote a hateful column titled "That's Life," in Dixon's Independent Voice newspaper.

Hickman wrote that the LGBTQ community has an "inferiority complex" and declared July to be "Straight Pride American Month." He also referred to Gay Pride Month as "LGBTQF-WTF month."

"We are different from them. … We work, have families, (and babies we make) enjoy and love the company (and marriage) of the opposite sex and don’t flaunt our differences dressing up like fairies and prancing by the thousands in a parade," Hickman wrote.

A petition started by activists in the community demanding a recall has nearly reached its goal of 15,000 signatures.

"Dixon, California's Vice Mayor Ted Hickman fancies himself a comedian. The only problem is he's not funny, he's hateful," the petition states.

In an interview with the Sacramento Bee he defended his comments "It was tongue-in-cheek and had nothing to do with my elected position," Hickman said. "It was thin-skinned people who took offense."

A Facebook page called "Recall Ted Hickman" has received more than 1,500 likes and demanded his leave by Friday.

Hickman is up for re-election to the city council in November.