Last night, candidates running for chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party met in Gaston County North Carolina.  During the forum Janice Covington, who is more widely known as the first transgendered candidate to run for such an office, was standing at the podium giving her bio and her accomplishments in the party.

Patsy Keever inappropriately blurted out the bigotry slur calling her “a man” that was loud enough for the attendees in the room to hear.

Janice turned to her and said, “There isn’t a man in here, hunny.”

Since that happened, Twitter and Facebook has been blazing with who said what and when. 

No doubt, Patsy will issue an apology– and she may even say that she misspoke– or miscommunicated what she was trying to say.

But an apology at this point isn’t enough.  Even though this is a high spirited campaign, Patsy represents the North Carolina Democratic Party as first vice chair. 

The language and rhetoric that she uses should be measured against the job that she already holds. An apology is not enough.

It is time for Patsy Keever to step aside.  An “I’m sorry” may suffice as a means of taking responsibility– but the accountable action is for Patsy to re-sign her leadership position within the North Carolina Democratic Party.

Enough is enough.   We have gone from Shamegate to the Gaston-gaff.  If Patsy is elected Chair-how much more would we be in store for-and how many more apologies can we take.

We’re better than this.