Mayor Utrecht apologizes for insensitive comment to lesbian

The mayor of Utrecht, Jan van Zanen, has been forced to apologize to a lesbian columnist, Monique Samuel, after he made an insensitive comment about her sexual preference. Samuel, a publicist and political scientist, felt hurt by what the mayor said during a discussion on Liberation Day. The mayor, once he discovered that Monique Samuel is a lesbian, reportedly reacted with the comment "what a pity, what a pity", the Telegraaf reports. Mayor Van Zanen says that it was an "incredibly stupid remark." According to the mayor, Samuel already "debunked" him "in no uncertain terms" during their discussion. Although the comment was not meant to be disrespectful, Van Zanen will choose his words more carefully in future. "It was just inappropriate and that is incredibly stupid", the mayor says. Earlier on Tuesday, the publicist demanded an apology in a Tweet, as she says there is grounds for sexism.