Residents of Campbell City, Calif. have threatened to recall openly gay city councilman Evan Low unless he reverses his decision to oppose Proposition 8, a ballot measure that would strip same-sex couples of their right to marry in the state.

Low, a former Victory Fund endorsee, told the Bay Area Reporter that about six people have told him that he’d be removed from office unless he changes his mind.

“I have received seven calls today threatening to recall me from office if I do not publicly retract my position and switch to Yes on 8,” he told supporters in an e-mail on Wednesday. “The Yes on 8 campaign is continuing their efforts of deception and coercion. Let’s have a strong showing during this final stretch.”

The paper writes:

In his e-mail Low urged his supporters to donate to the No on 8 campaign (http://www.noonprop8.com) as well as attend several rallies in Silicon Valley over the weekend. In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Low said he did not know where most of the callers lived or if they were being coordinated by the Yes on 8 campaign.

“At least one person I knew was from Campbell,” he said. “Whether or not these calls or threats of recall are attributed to Yes on 8 directly, it still shows the attempts of people on that side of the issue will go to threaten. It is just ridiculous.”

He called the threat of a recall a “pathetic attempt” that would not impact his speaking out against Prop 8.

“It is bad enough they want to eliminate rights for people. It is just ugly, plain and simple,” said Low.

Gloria Nieto, political director at the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center in San Jose, labeled the tactics thuggish and said they would not work.

“You know what a bunch of thugs. They are attacking our Web sites, threatening our elected officials. It is nothing but thuggery; it is disgusting,” said Nieto. “I don’t think it will work in Campbell. I will be the first in line to support Evan so he knows people are backing him up.”