Granholm gay rights order "a slap in the face"

American Family Association of Michigan | January 1, 2003 | Gary Glenn, President, American Family Association of Michigan

[AFA-Michigan]

To Michigan families who believe homosexual behavior is wrong, especially if because of their Christian faith, Gov. Jennifer Granholm's choice of Christmas to grant special protection to such behavior was a slap in the face.

Gov. Granholm over Christmas announced her new executive order granting special "protected class" status to state employees involved in homosexual relationships, thus declaring homosexual behavior the legal and moral equivalent of race, ethnicity, and religion.

Give Granholm credit: she timed her political payoff to homosexual activist groups when she knew nobody was paying attention. While homosexual publications worldwide harked and heralded Granholm's Christmas surprise, here in Michigan, for example, the Detroit News buried what should have been a front-page story in one four-sentence paragraph under "Michigan Briefs" the day after Christmas.

The governor insisted that adding "sexual orientation" to the state's hiring policy was intended only to stop supposed "discrimination." If true, surely she can provide examples of state employees discriminated against on such basis.

In fact, Granholm's executive order is the calculated first step of a much larger agenda.

The Ann Arbor News reported that openly homosexual Rep. Chris Kolb, D-Ann Arbor, called for such a policy "to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, a move he hopes will lay the groundwork for legalizing same-sex marriages."

Kolb "plan(s) to introduce a series of bills aimed at including gays and transsexuals in the list of protected classes in hate crime and anti-discrimination laws," the News reported. "Next would come an attempt to secure insurance and work benefits for same-sex partners, followed by legislation to allow same-sex marriages. …The stepping-stone plan outlined by Kolb echoes the approach in Vermont…that finally legalized same-sex marriage."

Absent legislative support, Kolb turned instead to Granholm for the first step of his plan.

The homosexual Triangle Foundation termed Granholm's directive just that, a "terrific first step." A Lansing State Journal editorial agreed it should be viewed only "as a first step…in the fight for equality."

Step Two of Kolb's plan is to force Michigan taxpayers to subsidize homosexual behavior among state employees, extending tax-funded spousal insurance benefits to their "domestic partners."

The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force training manual explains: "Before attempting to get domestic partner benefits from your employer, it is imperative that the (employer's) nondiscrimination policy include sexual orientation. …A common rationale for establishing domestic partner benefits is that the failure to do so is contradictory to a nondiscrimination clause."

Absent actual discrimination against state employees, the real motivation behind Granholm's order is obvious. Follow the money.

Notably, NGLTF drastically cut its own employees' "domestic partner" health insurance, calling it "prohibitively expensive." Step Two will surely get taxpayers' attention.

Meanwhile, there's ample evidence to expect that Granholm's supposed "anti"-discrimination policy will itself discriminate against employees who oppose homosexual activists' political agenda. Witness the track record of the few Michigan cities who've adopted the same policy:

* The Ann Arbor city council -- citing the "sexual orientation" language of its nondiscrimination policy -- prohibited city employees from making payroll contributions to the United Way. "A council majority believes its own anti-discrimination ordinance prohibits it from supporting Boy Scouts in any fashion," the Ann Arbor News reported, "including using staff time and city computers for payroll deductions that go through the United Way to the Boy Scouts."

* Ann Arbor fired a 15-year police veteran and local union president after a formal complaint accused him of violating the "sexual orientation" policy, merely by expressing an opinion during a public forum for police chief hopefuls. As a Detroit homosexual newsmagazine reported, the detective "is accused of saying he thought one candidate had a gay agenda."

* The Triangle Foundation issued a news release demanding that Detroit withdraw its $50,000 grant to local Boy Scouts, insisting that the Scouts' refusal to allow homosexual troop leaders "is in direct violation of (city policies)…expressly forbid(ding) discrimination based on sexual orientation. Triangle also asked that the city cease all other forms of support of the Boy Scouts, including the use of public facilities and sponsorship of scout troops by the police and fire departments."

The Legislature should consider new safeguards to ensure that state employees, the Boy Scouts, and others who oppose homosexual activists' political agenda are not similarly discriminated against by the Granholm Administration under its new state policy.

The final step of Kolb's admitted strategy is legalizing homosexual "marriage."

Gov. Granholm ridiculously argues that if voters approve a state constitutional amendment permanently preserving Michigan's one-man, one-woman marriage law, it will hurt our economy.

Logically then, she must believe legislation repealing Michigan's traditional marriage law will help our economy.

No doubt she'll announce that on Good Friday.

[AFA-Michigan]

Gary Glenn of Midland is president of the American Family Association of Michigan. Contact him at gg@afamichigan.org

[Texas Eagle]

Hey, if Jennifer wants to burn in Hell that's her business.

[billhilly]

Tyrants, in any government, deserve to be held to account by the people. Grey Davis, former governor of California recently experienced the lash of public revolt. More recently, Saddam Hussan realized that some Iraquis did not worship him. History books are full of examples. Don't waste time Michiganders. Do it now.

[L.N. Smithee]

Kolb "plan(s) to introduce a series of bills aimed at including gays and transsexuals in the list of protected classes in hate crime and anti-discrimination laws,"

This is the sort of nonsense that led to two homosexual men in Arizona to sue a California-based adoption website because they wouldn't let them post a search for a child to adopt.

[goldstategop]

I have to say its one thing allowing gays and lesbians to live as they please but I resent it when they try to muscle me into giving public consent to their choice of lifestyle.

[StopGlobalWhining]

Hey, if Jennifer wants to burn in Hell that's her business.

But don't force Michigan taxpayers to pay for it!

[Conservative_Nationalist]

Why can't a white man be a victim of a so called "Hate Crime" while Minorities and Freaks are protected???

[Texas Eagle]

But don't force Michigan taxpayers to pay for it!

They elected her. You lie down with dogs you wake up with fleas.

[Salvation]

Ping!

[Salvation]

Granholm is a CINO. Catholic in Name Only. She needs our prayers badly!

(Don't know if it would do any good, however!)

[Salvation]

**Gov. Granholm ridiculously argues that if voters approve a state constitutional amendment permanently preserving Michigan's one-man, one-woman marriage law, it will hurt our economy.**

Since when do child-bearing marriage hurt the economy? What ridiculous reasoning!

[vanmorrison]

What bugs me about "Reparations" Granholm is that, as shameless and duplicitous as this Berkeley-Harvard leftist has shown herself to be, the Republican Party in Michigan can't seem to get the information out about her true evil nature. This skanky broad's approval numbers poll in the mid 60's. All I read in the local papers are references, comments, and editorials touting her "brilliance" and "success". I guess so, considering that a creep who barely won the last gubernatorial election with a questionable four percent edge continues to get a free pass from the misbegotten Michigan Republican Party.

[punster]

Still, the only critereon that is valid for hiring is: Who can do the job best?

[Coleus]

thanks, do you have a link to the story?

[Cultural Jihad]

Gov. Granholm ridiculously argues that if voters approve a state constitutional amendment permanently preserving Michigan's one-man, one-woman marriage law, it will hurt our economy.

Anyone know what she was referring to here on 'hurting the economy'?

[AFA-Michigan]

This is so ridiculous you'll think we're making it up, but it's true.

Granholm calls her alleged economic recovery plan for Michigan the "Cool Cities" initiative, under which she argues -- seriously -- that recruiting homosexuals to live in your city is the key factor in attracting and retaining the so-called "creative class," which in turn is the key to economic growth.

Tellingly, San Franscisco is the prototype "cool city," she said on the NPR station in Boston.

All this psycho-babble is based on a single book by some college professor in Pennsylvania.

Obviously, in order to recruit homosexuals, she says, you must enact "gay-friendly" public policy; thus, if Michigan voters approve a Marriage Protection Amendment to our state constitution, it will undermine her "Cool Cities" plan and hurt Michigan's economy.

If this still sounds too la-la land to believe, see today's Grand Rapids Press at:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1072972086230130.xml

A left-wing fantasy with no pricetag: in Granholm's alternate reality, the key to creating new jobs in Michigan is to culturally remodel the entire state after San Francisco.

[Cultural Jihad]

Ah. "Cool Cities" sounds like a euphemism for those municipalities which cower before the Nazi-like intimidation tactics of the homofascists.

[Coleus]

STOP Granholm

[little jeremiah]

Gov. Granholm ridiculously argues that if voters approve a state constitutional amendment permanently preserving Michigan's one-man, one-woman marriage law, it will hurt our economy.

Gov. Granholm of Michigan alert.

Homosexual Agenda Ping, let me know if you want on or off the Ping list!

[sarasmom]

Personal sexual orientation is not on any generic or custom job application form I have ever encountered.
It is nobody's business but my own, that I am an adult celibate, heterosexual.
Do I deserve protected status for my personal sexual lifestyle choice?