Yesterday I wrote about the creepy, creepy story of Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell, who has embarked on what amounts to a disturbing stalking campaign against Ryan Armstrong, student body president at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. He claims it’s about Armstrong’s “radical homosexual agenda,” but really, it looks more like a creepy psychosexual obsession to everybody else. If you haven’t watched Shirvell’s interview on Anderson Cooper 360, click the above clicky.
Well, now Mike Cox, Shirvell’s boss, has also gone to talk to Anderson Cooper, and basically defends his employee the entire way through:
SO WEIRD.
Gabe at Videogum has the best reaction I’ve seen to this whole scenario, where a state prosecutor, in his off hours, is very publicly stalking a young college student:
[H]ow come the rest of us are nervous about our bosses CATCHING US PLAYING MINESWEEPER, and you’re willing to go on national television and make up a bunch of bullshit about why you’re not going to take any kind of action whatsoever (at least not publicly, and certainly if there was ever a reason for public action, it is probably a well-publicized and unapologetic hate crime committed by a state employee who needs medicine) against someone working in your office whose ostensible function is the day to day protection of laws and people’s rights. Perfect. “Oh, he’s a bully. But what can I say? HE IS MY HUSBAND.” Unacceptable!
That is EXACTLY what this is like. “I’m so sorry my husband is stalking this young boy, but he is my husband and I will stand by him!”
Looks like the Chris Armstrong Watch blog may be shutting down.
I just clicked over there and it seems it’s locked, only open to invited readers.
So, with these kind of people in the Attorney General office can we just assume that gay people in Michigan are screwed?
Cox is pretty anti-gay himself. I don’t think he thinks this is an issue. If I were gay in Michigan I would be a little concerned.
Bing GLBT in Michigan is, at best, a dicey proposition and at worst a living hell. I left Michigan for the West Coast almost thirty years because I got tired of being a third-class citizen. That anger only increased when the State Constitution was amended to forbid marriage equality.
I am not surprised that Mike Cox would defend Andrew Shirvell. However, unless he wants some tragedy on his hands, he needs to fire Shirvell. The man is mentally-ill and I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to do Ryan Armstrong some serious harm.