Desert Hot Springs city leader apologizes for using homophobic slur in leaked email
Desert Hot Springs Mayor Pro Tem Roger Nuñez is facing criticism and repercussions after leaked emails showed him using a homophobic slur in an email to a College of the Desert board member.
The August 2022 emails, which were obtained by News Channel 3 Tuesday and first reported by Uken Report, showed Nuñez using an offensive Spanish word that translates to a gay slur.
Former Palm Springs Councilmember Geoff Kors called Nuñez's comment a "very derogatory term."
Kors, who at the time was part of the tourism committee that put together a press conference last fall about a study on COD's downsized Palm Springs hospitality and culinary campus, said Nuñez's comment was in response to a notice inviting city leaders.
"He didn't see the study. He was invited to learn. And he chose not to where he could have asked questions... Instead, he just called everyone involved that incredible derogatory name," Kors said.
Nuñez first forwarded the email from his city account to his personal one, then sent the message with the slur to COD trustee Bea Gonzalez's official email, saying, "This is getting sent around to different city leaders!"
"Why do that if you didn't think there was anything wrong with what you were saying?" Kors said.
Valley political group Desert Stonewall Democrats, which endorsed and financially supported Nuñez as a candidate for city council, condemned his message. Chair David Weiner called on Nunez to apologize, saying it felt like "a slap in the face."
On Tuesday, Nuñez apologized in a statement to News Channel 3, writing that the word "is clearly being taken out of context and not meant in a derogatory manner towards anyone." Instead, he said he meant it to translate to the expletive "fu_k_r."
Gary Gardner, the only openly gay member of the Desert Hot Springs City Council, said he doesn't believe Nunez was using an anti-gay slur.
"Was it an unfortunate choice of words? Yes. And it's not something I may have used," said Gardner.
Kors called Nuñez's statement "offensive" – it went on to say his email had been made public to keep him from advocating for a Desert Hot Springs community college campus.
"Just apologize for what you did and move on. But no, you attack people who feel this is offensive because he knows it's offensive," said Kors.
Nuñez has been taken off a COD advisory committee with west valley city representatives and has been replaced by Mayor Scott Matas.
"We wanted to not take away from what this truly is about, which is that COD is not providing services to the west valley," Matas said. "We needed to put someone who would not take away from that."
