It’s been a tough four years for Michiganders under Gov. Rick Snyder. Especially the gay and lesbian ones.
During his debate with Democratic rival Mark Schauer on Oct. 12, Nolan Finley of The Detroit News asked Snyder, “Governor, if the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upholds Judge [Bernard A.] Friedman’s [March 21] overturning of Michigan’s gay-marriage ban, will you ask the attorney general to pursue the appeal further, or will you let the matter rest?”
“They’re separate constitutional offices, Nolan, so we each have a choice and I would, I’m gonna wait for the opinion to come down,” Snyder replied.
In other words, he’s saying he isn’t the boss of Michigan’s Attorney General Bill Schuette. But Snyder’s own name is on the lawsuit, so it isn’t like he’s disconnected from it, separate offices or not. Also, Schuette’s a right-wing conservative, a characterization Snyder’s tried to avoid, so you’d think he might be comfortable breaking with Schuette on this issue. But no.
Snyder continued, “That’s a hypothetical, but I will respect what happens in our court system and I think that’s where the issue is going to be decided.”
It’s disingenuous for Snyder to dismiss Finley’s question as “a hypothetical,” because it really isn’t. There’s a distinct possibility that the Sixth Circuit will uphold Friedman’s ruling. One presumes that Snyder has a plan for what he’ll do in that instance, as well as a plan for what he’ll do if the Sixth Circuit goes his way. Are we to believe that Snyder just hasn’t bothered to think about it?
Note, too, Snyder said he “will respect what happens in our court system,” not that he will respect the decision of the Sixth Circuit, which means he very well might “pursue the appeal further,” as Finley put it, in the question that Snyder avoided answering.
Finley then asked Snyder, “Where do you stand on the issue?”
“Well, again, I’m waiting for the outcome of the courts,” Snyder said. And then Snyder shrugged, like, “What more could there possibly be to say?”
For some reason Snyder wants us to buy that, until the Sixth Circuit rules, why, he can’t bother his nerd brain with the subject of marriage equality.
Mark Schauer, on the other hand, gets it.
“I think the voters deserve to know where the governor will stand on tough issues,” he said. “Now, [Snyder’s] statement leads you to believe he has no position. This governor, through his own legislature, banned domestic-partner benefits for gay and lesbian state employees. His tough choices are tough on all the wrong people. They’re hurting people and hurting our families.”
Note that Snyder didn’t say anything about families in his answer. Because his administration doesn’t value gays and lesbians as people and he certainly doesn’t think our relationships matter. Otherwise, why not say so? It isn’t a radical position to say that all of Michigan’s families matter. But it’s too radical for Snyder.
Snyder claims he’s a numbers guy, and the economy is his main concern. Yet the state pissed away tens of thousands of dollars on “expert” testimony against gay families in court.
Again, Schauer gets it.
“I support marriage equality,” he said. “It is not only the right thing to do, but it is an economic issue here in our state. To discriminate against people, talented people we need to help rebuild the city of Detroit and our communities, is wrong. I’ve talked to parents who have adult children who are professionals who live in other states, who won’t come here because we have backwards policies.”
Voting for Snyder is, quite literally, voting against gays and lesbians and their families. Not bothering to vote at all is, too. Get out there on Nov. 4 and show Snyder that gays and lesbians and the people who care about them aren’t unicorns. We’re real. And we vote.