Gay-protesting Andrew Shirvell takes leave: Michigan’s AG changes mind about ‘free speech’ to target gay student
”Here in America, we have this thing called the First Amendment, which allows people to express what they think and engage in political and social speech… He’s clearly a bully … but is that protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution? Yes….
”He does satisfactory work and off-hours, he’s free to engage under both our civil service rules, Michigan Supreme Court rulings and the United States Supreme Court rule.”
Statement from Mike Cox, Michigan‘s Attorney General, after his Assistant Attorney General, Andrew Shirvell, gave one of the strangest interviews of the year on CNN’s AC360. (CNN)
Shirvell admitted to going after the student council president of the University of Michigan, Chris Anderson, because he is a “radical homosexual activist.” Shirvell created a blog to attack Anderson with extremely negative language, and has also appeared on campus with protest signs, and even outside the home of Anderson’s home with a video camera. Chris Anderson has not yet commented on the specifics of Shirvell’s remarks.
”If I was still Attorney General and Andrew Shirvell worked for me, he would have already been fired.”
”I made a mistake … I should have been more diligent. Ultimately, that’s all on me. I was shocked. I knew he had political views of a certain bent, but reading the blogs … [They] really aren’t … in the conventional sense, political discourse. They’re really these screeds attacking an individual personally.”
Michigan AG Mike Cox following up on his earlier statements about Andrew Shirvell. It is now being reported by multiple sources that Assitant AG Andrew Shirvell has opted to take a leave of absence. (NPR)
Shivell has been officially barred from appearing on the University of Michigan campus. His ridiculous behavior toward a college student has caused quite an uproar since his Tuesday night appearance on CNN. Apparently, the blog he created to hound Chris Anderson with anti-gay language has been changed to private.
Cox himself is no friend of gay rights: He recently had Michigan join nine other states in an effort to overturn Judge Vaughn Walker‘s decision that California’s Proposition 8 was unconstitutional.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
