You would think by now that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder would know where he stands on gay issues. But if he does, he's keeping it to himself. The state legislature is considering a nondiscrimination measure to protect LGBT workers, but pressed by reporters for his position on the bill, Snyder unloaded a massive array of statements completely devoid of any meaning.
"It's something at some point I'm happy to have a discussion on; I'm waiting to see when legislators may also have that as an item of interest," Snyder began his colloquy with reporters.
Reporter: Is it acceptable in Michigan that someone can be fired from their job because they are gay or perceived as gay?
Snyder: Well again, in terms of people being fired for no good reason, again, that's always an issue, that shouldn't happen.
Reporter: Is being fired because you're gay or perceived as gay one of those issues?
Snyder: Again, you have issues where you want to see people have an opportunity to have a career.
Reporter: But when you say "no good reason," is being gay a good reason to be fired?
Snyder: Well again, that's a broad statement, so it'd depend on the particular facts of the situation. That's a hypothetical, that's very general in that context.
Snyder: The question is how should government be involved in that process and how active, so again that's where I'm happy to work with the legislature as they're willing to look at those kind of issues.
Reporter: But you're not going to lead on that issue.
Snyder: At this point in time I've got a number of other things that I've had as priorities.
So glad to know that being fired for being gay is a hypothetical situation. That will bring comfort to these people who lost not-so-hypothetical livelihoods.
As for the governor emerging as a champion of workplace protections — that would require a change of attitude, based on past performance. Two years ago, Snyder signed a law that denied healthcare benefits to the partners of all LGBT public employees, not exactly the act of someone who believes in a fair workplace.
When this man was running for office he was left of his Republican competition. He promised to stay away from divisive issues like abortion, right to work, and gay rights, and instead work on economic issues that people on both sides of the isle could agree on (which to him meant taxing senior's pensions to give business a tax break). A lot on independents voted for him because of his stand. All of it was bull-crap. He has followed behind his party on stealing health care from gay families working at colleges and has done everything he can to break up unions. Pressure has mounted on him to also give up on promises to stay away abortion and I am sure he will fold on that promise also.
Boy, on boy, he sure loves to Dance the Little Sidestep!
Seriously? No. Michigan is a Republican state with a Republican House, Republican Senate, and Republican Supreme Court (yes, our judges are on the non-partisan section of our ballot, but it's smoke and mirrors).
So I doubt there's any danger of Snyder having to give the matter any serious thought.
How can any sane gay man support republicans?
@litper: Thank you! I could not agree more. Gay republicans are either sick in the head or greedy bastards, take your pick!
For the life of me, I just don't get how rational people can vote republican especially for a republican like this guy. Are there so many irrational people in America? Another example is the republican candidate for governor in Virginia, it looks like he's not going to win but why is it even close? A blue state like Pennsylvania also has a republican idiot as governor.
I certainly wouldn't trust a guy like that with my money.