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10/10/2005


Bigoted Michigan State Senator Makes No Apologies

GoschkaA majority of Michigan's state senate voted last week to block public-sector employers from giving health benefits to the partners of gay employees until the highest court can issue a ruling. Michigan State Senator Michael J. Goschka's statement about the issue has prompted demands for an apology from gay rights groups:

"Homosexual and lesbian unions under any arrangement does not, and never will, constitute a family. Simply put, no homosexual or lesbian union is ever appropriate; rather, it is utter perversity. A legitimate family, as ordained by God, can only exist between a man and a woman within the context of marriage. As a committed Christian, I recognize this as a bedrock principle."

Will Michigan gay rights groups receive an apology for his blatantly homophobic statements? Not likely. Goschka's most recent reaction was to "laugh at the demand" and reply, "They should apologize for their lifestyle and tolerating something so terrible. The lifestyle, the act itself, it is utterly perverse. It's not natural. I've had gays work for me. Not a lot. But I don't ask."

Posted 9:04 AM EST by Andy Towle in Current Affairs | Permalink

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  1. Off with his head! It's frightening how someone with such perverted logic can get elected to such a high office...

    Posted by: Wayne | Oct 10, 2005 9:10:05 AM


  2. Actually, these days, logic and elected office are mutually exclusive.

    Posted by: Frank | Oct 10, 2005 9:27:25 AM


  3. What a truly ugly person. How sad. Even sadder is that there are throngs of people cheering on the comments he has made. I'm hoping that this current upswing in religious zeal has about reached it's apex and will start swinging back the other way...

    Posted by: Michael W. | Oct 10, 2005 9:50:08 AM


  4. Those of us at the University of Michigan have watched in horror as our adopted state has slowly slid to the right. The far more frightening part of the Goschka story is that the domestic partnership benefits hard won over years of work appear to be on their way out. Our University President has boldly and publicly slammed the anti-gay initiatives (pushed by many of the same people currently backing a ballot initiative ending our Supreme Court protected affirmitive action program), but it doesn't look promising.

    Posted by: Mark | Oct 10, 2005 9:51:10 AM


  5. It's easy for crap-heads to get voted into office. Hell, look at Mitt Romney, Governor of the so-called "liberal" state of Massachusetts. The fact that more and more of them are surfacing is becomming alarming.

    My only hope is that; historically, the so-called "values" promoted in American society tend to be pendulous from one extreme to the other. Perhaps the sudden thrust of hatred generated by the Christian right will polarize enough of the country to actually begin voting these idiots out of high office?

    Posted by: Rad | Oct 10, 2005 10:44:07 AM


  6. And yet over at Republican wingnut site GayPatriot they'll ignore such homophobia coming from their own party or pretend the Dems are worse. As awful as Goschka's bigoted views are, I simply cannot fathom these gay Republicans who tolerate them and still support the party.

    Posted by: Michael J. | Oct 10, 2005 10:44:33 AM


  7. I grew up in the mitten of Michigan. One week after graduating from college, I escaped. A depressed economy and depressing politics like this left nothing for me there.

    But then there is guilt over this question: Should I have stayed to try to counterbalance people like Goschka?

    I don't know.

    Posted by: Aaron | Oct 10, 2005 11:05:53 AM


  8. Unfortunatly Michigan AND Ohio where I am are the center of conservative craziness these days. Nothing any of these idiots says surprises me. My only comfort is that it appears that the conservatives have overplayed their hand and will be seeing the results of pushing the moderates too far. The only reason most of them got elected in the first place is because the moderates couldn't quite go liberal, and didn't expect the right to go as far as they did. Hopefully the intelligent ones will realize you can't trust anything the right promises.

    Posted by: Matt | Oct 10, 2005 11:57:42 AM


  9. I agree with Michael J. Where all the Gay right wingers to defend these statements? This Senator speaks for their "christain" faith, aren't they going to get on here to defend it.

    I wish the Gay right would just be honest an admit that they hate the Gay community and will do anything to put us back in the closet where they think we all (including themselves) belong.

    Posted by: ICEMAN | Oct 10, 2005 1:36:32 PM


  10. another philistine pig leading the poor state of Michigan down the toilet. This jackass should stop his campaign of hate and remember that his job is suppose to be helping ALL the people of Michigan economically and socially. Detroit's GM is about to go bankrupt and job loss is at an all time high in that state, etc, etc etc. Politicians like this want to distract the dumb people of Michigan with a fight against gay people.

    Posted by: Vince | Oct 10, 2005 2:25:08 PM


  11. I suppose misery loves company...

    Oddly enough, like Zach's father, this guy kinda looks like a butch lesbian as well.

    Posted by: Jason | Oct 10, 2005 2:52:29 PM


  12. Instead of just venting to each other, let's send some grief HIS way. Write this thug at:

    senmgoschka@senate.michigan.gov

    Thanks!

    Posted by: Leland | Oct 10, 2005 2:57:39 PM


  13. PS: Perhaps a larger question is who is worse for us: another American Taliban thug or local gays acting like naive grade schoolers in asking him for an apology--as if politics is really only about etiquette. We continue to be our own worst enemy when we fail to realize how irredeemable most of our other enemies are and not FIGHT back when attacked. "Gosh, Gov. Wallace [whom Michigan supported for President]. Please don't say all those nasty things about segregation. You'll hurt our feelings." Grow UP, people!

    Posted by: Leland | Oct 10, 2005 3:04:35 PM


  14. I'm scared for you guys, seriously. The concentration camps can't be far away.


    http://www.legit.ca/

    Posted by: kevin | Oct 10, 2005 4:24:06 PM


  15. Leland you are absolutely right. I've had it with 'tea-parlor political politeness'. These assholes are playing for keeps and the Gay Community needs to get over the idea that this crap will somehow 'blow over' and all will be well again. Instead of politely asking for an apology, they should be demanding this politician's head on a platter and launching a recall effort to oust him from office. If intimidation can work for the right wing, it can work for our side too.

    Posted by: Robert In WeHo | Oct 10, 2005 6:51:20 PM


  16. Launch a recall? I agree that askling this knuckledragger for an apology is wasted effort. But unless there are thousands of liberals hiding in caves somewhere outside of Ann Arbor and a few other places in Michigan, I don't see where the signatures in support of a recall effort would come. The vast majority of people upstate, which is where this guy is from, agree with his thinking on gays 100%.

    Posted by: Frank | Oct 10, 2005 7:15:17 PM


  17. True, but it would at least show that these homophobic peanut heads do not have the only viable point of view. The general public will pretty much fall in line with idiots like this if they remain unchallenged. Sometimes the mere act of defying the common prevailing political opinion can have unexpected and positive results, particularly when it seems hopeless.

    Posted by: Robert In WeHo | Oct 10, 2005 10:36:32 PM


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