Michigan Republican Calls for an End to Gay Marriage
metroweekly.comwriting, “Make gay marriage illegal again. This is not remotely controversial, nor extreme.”Make gay marriage illegal again.This is not remotely controversial, nor extreme.— Rep.
Josh Schriver (@JoshuaSchriver) December 2, 2024Michigan Republicans, buoyed by Donald Trump’s electoral victory in their state, won back control of the State House of Representatives and will take power in January.Although they can’t single-handedly ban same-sex marriage, Schriver’s remarks may be indicative of the approach that Michigan Republicans are likely to take regarding LGBTQ-related legislation.It would not be shocking to see Republicans introduce other bills targeting or seeking to restrict the rights of LGBTQ individuals, such as bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth, barring Medicaid from covering the cost of hormones, surgery, or other transition-related treatments for adults, restricting drag performances, or seeking to restrict or ban library book titles, lessons, or courses that deal with LGBTQ content in public schools and universities.Such laws have easily passed in other states where Republicans control the legislature and retain veto-proof majorities.While various instances of anti-LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations are technically banned in Michigan, the state is not insulated from anti-LGBTQ sentiment.For instance, when it comes to adoption, the state has a “conscience clause” exemption that allows adoption and foster care agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples so long as they cite their religious or moral beliefs as justification.Schriver received much pushback on social media from supporters of marriage equality.
Michigan’s Democratic Attorney General, Dana Nessel, a married lesbian, replied on X, “Please explain how dissolving my marriage, or that of the hundreds of thousands of other same-sex couples living in America, provides a benefit to your constituents or anyone else.
