Sammamish Planning Commissioner and Tanoor owner Wassim Fayed celebrated Pride the best way he knew how: By launching into a homophobic screed at a public meeting.

On June 1, Fayed described queer people as “wealthy,” “well-connected” disease-spreaders who infest and “poison” the minds of children in schools and through movies and television. He invoked his faith-based belief that people choose to be gay against God’s intentions, which is ridiculous. Everyone knows we choose to be gay to please the devil.

“I don’t believe LBGT should be part of the minority,” Fayed said.

He resigned Monday afternoon and didn’t return our request for comment.

Sammamish Mayor Kali Clark said she’d save her thoughts for the dais at tonight’s city council meeting about the issue. The city’s first openly queer council member sent The Stranger a City statement that condemned Fayed’s words while acknowledging his right to free speech.

Fayed owns Tanoor, a Lebanese restaurant with one location in Sammamish and another in Seattle. The Sammamish City Council appointed him to its Planning Commission this year.

Last month, Sammamish commissioners attended a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging training, which Fayed alluded to during his rant.

Over the phone, Planning Commissioner Seyed Safavian said the training reminded commissioners to consider all people in decision making.

“The people are looking at you as an example of a good citizen that respects individuals not based on sexual orientation, not based on the color of the skin, not based on age,” Safavian said.

Evidently, the gay parts didn’t stick for Fayed.

In an email, Council Member Pam Stuart said Fayed violated the City’s codes of ethics and conduct when he used his platform to espouse hateful views. The City could have removed Fayed had he not resigned.

Stuart said she’s asked that the City train all board and commission members on when to stop hate speech, when to stop bullying, and when to intervene “so that no one feels threatened or targeted from anyone on the dais, ever.” Commissioners said nothing in the meeting.

Planning Commissioner Mike Bresko wrote in an email to the council and to the planning commission that he’d like that training.

Fayed’s fiery commentary came at the end of a late, three-hour meeting; Safavian said they had no time for rebuttal.

Fayed’s comments “deeply offended” Deputy Mayor Amy Lam, who said those opinions do not represent the city. 

Council Member Karen Howe said she hasn’t spoken to anyone who wasn’t “physically sickened and repulsed” by what Fayed said.

“For my part, at the time I thought he would be a strong voice for the business community and add much needed diversity onto the planning commission,” she wrote in an email. “Clearly, if we’d known he harbored these abhorrent beliefs, he would not have been appointed.”