Republicans are demanding that a gay school board member resign because of his new position with a local Pride organization. The GOP is saying that he has overt conflicts of interest because of his work for the LGBTQ+ community, which they call a small minority.Tom Edwards is serving his second term on the Sarasota County School Board, the same school board that anti-LGBTQ+ Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Zeigler is on. In 2024, Zeigler and her husbands three-ways with women were publicly revealed as part of an investigation into accusations of sexual assault made against Zeiglers husband by one of the women the couple had sex with. Her husband denied the allegations and did not face any criminal charges because law enforcement believed that there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute. Related Explosive police report reveals how Moms for Liberty co-founder arranged bisexual threesomes But the Republican Party of Sarasota (RPOS) is now focused on Edwards, who was highly critical of Zeigler, saying that his position as executive director of Project Pride SRQ means he cant be a school board member anymore.Tom Edwards will have overt conflicts of interest, RPOS said in a statement according to Florida Politics, adding that Project Pride SRQ supports a radical ideology rejected by the vast majority of Americans. Project Pride SRQs website says that it organizes local events for the LGBTQ+ community, provides scholarships, and partners with other organizations, businesses, and governments to advance LGBTQ+ equality. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Tom Edwards can do whatever that he wants in his private life, RPOS continued. But this position leverages him as a School Board member to push programs in the public, taxpayer-funded schools of which he has enormous influence. He cannot hold this position and look out for the well-being of all students. He clearly is incentivized to prioritize a small minority.RPOS Chair Jack Brill was more direct in a statement, accusing Edwards of having radical LGBTQ beliefs completely out of touch with what the Sarasota County community of parents want. This isnt the first time Edwards has faced homophobia connected to his work on the school board. At a 2023 school board meeting, a resident associated with the Proud Boys called him an LGBTQ groomer and a threat to the innocence of our children because hes gay.What Tom stands for and what he wants to do to our children isnt what a majority of Sarasota parents, voters, and the community support, the resident said, using language that local Republicans would echo two years later.Edwards said he asked Zeigler, the chair of the board, to shut down those slurs being directed at him. Instead, Zeigler interrupted the hateful speaker to scold some people in the crowd who were booing. So Edwards walked out of the meeting. He walked out not because I was feeling offended but because I felt that I needed to protect our LGBTQ+ students and their allies, he told LGBTQ Nation. Because weve done a really good job of creating acceptance and understanding within public education, and all of a sudden you have these wackos screaming at the top of their lungs and confusing our students. So, I felt like I needed to shut the meeting down. And the best way I could do that, shy of a fire alarm, was just to get up and walk out.In a press release, Project Pride SRQ celebrated Edwards becoming their executive director, saying that his reputation as a moderate will help build coalitions that foster inclusivity and stand against the elimination of human rights for any element of the population. One of the projects he will work on is a peer-to-peer support squad to help the victims of bullying, the press release says. Were thrilled to welcome Tom as our new executive director, said Project Pride SRQ board president Justyn Hunter-Ceruti. His leadership, experience, and deep ties to the community will be invaluable as we step into this next chapter. I look forward to working with Tom to advance our mission and ensure that Project Pride continues to be a powerful force for inclusion, connection, and resilience in Sarasota and beyond.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.