Michigan Mayor’s Anti-Gay Slur Prompts Protest

Ms Mayor
I urge you not to apologize for exercising your right of free speech. Those who feel degraded by your comment are degraded by their practices. Nothing less!

Are you serious? She is an elected official. She shouldn’t just be required to apologize, she should resign! This is outrageous! She is supposed to be serving the people of Troy, and like it or not, there are homosexual citizens in the city. Her comment was not only inappropriate given her position, but it shows that she doesn’t have everyone’s best interest in mind. She deserves to be fired and I hope the citizens of Troy feel the same way. She used her free speech and now they should use theirs, to recall her!

As a Troy resident, I find the mayor’s comments both appalling and embarrassing. It is so sad that this level of ignorance and discrimination still exists in the 21st century. Just because she has the right to free speech does not mean it is morally okay to publicly engage in hate speech and offend entire communities, especially as an elected official. 

People are not upset because she expressed her views on gay marriage; they are upset about the manner in which these views were expressed and the language that was chosen to express them. There is nothing “casual” about discrimination.

She’s just trying to stir up controversy so that she gets more exposure. It’s politics, nothing more.

Your comment as a whole makes no sense, so I will address your “points” one by one.

1) “that is like saying White people aren’t allowed to say the N word for African-Americans just because it isn’t ‘politically correct’” —- White people can say the N word all they want, because of that whole free speech thing and all, but are you seriously trying to say that there would be nothing wrong with an ELECTED OFFICIAL using the word?

2) ‘She can’t say the Q word in that context for very obvious reasons and you know it” —- Wait a minute, when did I say she couldn’t?

@JSINNC – I love how you justify tit for tat for bigotry, but on the other hand, could you show us where the gays are bashing straight people. Stories like Matthew Shephards “gay bashing” is the reality because ignorant hateful bigots like you people think its ok to kill and demoralize others because they are different.

She is a disgrace and should resign in shame. Bigotry like that has no place in high elected office. Just imagine what kinds of policies she is pursuing with that kind of hatred in her heart.

she is entitled to her own opinion, people keep saying she has hatred and all that, from what I see those people are more hate full in their comment than what they accuse her of, let her have her own culture and own opinion, I hope she won’t apologize for any of it because there is NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR.

Why do so many people make this about free speech? Yes the Constitution allows her to say what she believes. So what? The Constitution tolerates a lot of things that would never fly in my mother’s house.

What idiots would elect a tea party supporter, umm HELLO TEA PARTY! one of THE WORST and most abhorrent parties in the USA government….. only in Michigan….

To those defending this on free speech issues, what if she had used a racial slur or an offensive slur about a religious group – would you feel the same? What if I said, “That’s so typically ignorant Tea Party.” Would you feel like that was unfair? Her words reflect bigotry, plain and simple. She should apologize, at least, and take action to ensure that the lgbt people in her city know she will not denigrate or work to undermine their civil rights. She has disgraced her office. She needs to meet with some representatives of the gay community to hear their side of things.

She is entitled to her views, and she can share those views; Tell people you are against whatever you want. This is different – this is bullying. Free speech is only protected to the point where you are not causing harm to others (We all know you can’t yell “Fire” in a crowed theater). There are middle school and high school kids that are literally KILLING themselves because of the shame and hurt caused by this type of speech. How can a teacher, school administrator, or even parent for that matter, possibly be expected to stand their ground and teach tolerance if we allow comments such as this from our elected officials?

It was a smartassed remark that should tail her far beyond any apology–(these apologies are so easily and frequently crafted today, and are often so conditional as to be worthless)–but the whole point is not her blockhead views on gay marriage. That is the smarmy misdirection that would distract us from the fact of her ugly name-calling. Would she feel respected if referred to as a cow?

I had a choice whether to earn my Ph.D. in Michigan or New York. While the program itself was the main factor in my decision, homophobes like this and legally-sanctioned discrimination enshrined in state law were are also hugely influential in my decision. Michigan will continue to repel ethical top students and professionals by making itself a very unattractive place to live for those who value human rights.

Today, Gov. Snyder signed long awaited, anti-bullying legislation here in Michigan. The original bill included an exception for religious and moral beliefs, but after an intense backlash, it was taken out. The bill he signed today takes steps to make sure that the kind of hate language that Ms. Daniels used will NOT be tolerated in our schools. It should NOT be spoken by our elected officials. She should absolutely resign. This is NOT a freedom of speech issue.

As a resident of Oakland County, Michigan, I’m disappointed that we have this person in place as a local leader. Saying something like that… on Facebook no less… is not the mark of a leader. It’s the mark of someone who has not grown up and who is still being a crass bully towards something that she obviously does not want to begin to understand. Unfortunately, her constituents are made of up gay people, too, and she needs to get a grip on that reality, as do many people who have left equally closed-minded comments in their replies to this article. We have people on here talking about “free speech” and “the constitution,” when in reality it has nothing to do with free speech or the constitution; it has to do with people ending the endless attacks on anything and everything that might be slightly different from who they are. Stop.

What’s the problem here. Many Americans feel the same way. New York is messed up. Everybody knows it. Even California, as lib as they are, know that gays can’t and shouldn’t get “married”. Don’t worry, Mayor. You have our support!!!! Keep up the fight!

I am a married man. My wife and I also support, attend, and work with the local lgbt group and all of its events. We live in Northern Michigan, so this really doesn’t have much affect on us up here as we are standing up for our beliefs and facign our own issues. As far as my opinion on what was said by the mayor…It was wrong. Not because of the things that many are saying, but because she holds a public office. She is suppose to set the standards and show a clear difference between what is right and what is wrong. This comment does not offend me in any way shape or form, but she should have known that it was going to offend people. The fact that she actually feels that she is going to throw away her hand bag for just that reason is absurd and childish in so many ways. I do not feel as though she should step down, but an apology and to be asked to go through classes about acceptance and truly caring for people, is a good way to start things off on the right foot. I do not feel as though she is a bad person for that comment, but when it comes down to the position that she holds, it was wrong and needs to be corrected. It does not matter whether or not anyone feels like it was right or wrong. It was something that simply should not have been said. I do hope that she truly realizes her mistake and really wants to learn to accept people of different lifestyles, as no one is better than another.

the persecution of the normal is getting pathetic…….GAY MARRIAGE IS INSANE…….the only reason gays want marriage is the have the same rights as truly married couples….