Janice Daniels, mayor of Troy, Michigan, isn’t exactly popular with her constituents: Some 72% said they’d vote to recall her if possible. That percentage might go up now that an audio recording of her disturbing encounter with Troy High School’s gay-straight alliance has surfaced.
On January 9, Skye Curtis and Amy Weber came to Daniels (right) with a proposal for an assembly focusing on bullying and suicide prevention. The girls hoped Daniels might want to get involved after her homophobic Facebook status—”I think I am going to throw away my I Love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married there.”—garned national attention in November.
They were actually giving her a chance to rehabilitate her reputation? What kind of politician wouldn’t jump at such an opportunity?
Daniels, apparently. In the recording, you can hear her telling Curtis and Weber, “If I do [come], I’m not sure any of you will be satisfied… I will bring in psychiatrists who will tell you that the homosexual lifestyle is dangerous.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Distraught, Curtis reported the conversation, saying Daniels called homosexuality “a mental illness.” She later admitted she may 
have misheard the mayor. Oh good, because dangerous sounds sooo much better than being mentally disturbed.
The Detroit News obtained the recording of the exchange, which took place in Daniels’ office at the Troy Community Center, after filing a claim through the Freedom of Information Act.
Since the meeting, the GSA has teamed up with other organizations to plan a diversity event for March, with speakers, religious leaders, video presentations and comedy. Daniels is welcome to join, says Weber. “The door will be open to all people who come with their hearts open.”
According to the News, Daniels—who just took office in November—says her her controversial Facebook post was meant as a joke. And she complains she’s been “threatened and bullied over the incident.”
Well, Mayor Daniels, using the logic of your fellow homophobes: You chose to make a bigoted statement for all the world to see, and people can change their opinions—unlike, say, their sexual orientation.
We hazard to guess that if you change your attitude your life will be so much better and richer. Problem solved.
And speaking for all New Yorkers, please do chuck that I Love NY carrying bag—and lose our address while you’re at it.
Gigi
Oh those mean far-left Liberal kids and their recording machines. Why do they hate conservative god-lovers so much? (Note: that’s me being facetious.)
Gigi
@Gigi: My bad. In my haste to be witty I neglected to notice that the recording to surface was from the Mayor’s own office, and was made public after an application under the freedom of information act. In that case: what a moronic bigot this woman is!
hunnylvr
There is quite a large group of moronic bigots in Troy, MI. You wanna investigate something scary? Check this link: http://www.fbctroy.org/
I’d bet big money she’s a member.. the school they are running there is squeezing out robot soldiers to follow in her footsteps
Jaroslaw
#3 what specifically were you referring to on the church website? (I didn’t see any references to homosexuality although there are a lot of links, I could have missed it) I wasn’t too happy about their wild game dinner advertisement with outlines of animals overlayed by a gun site crosshair thing.
Jim Hlavac
The “homosexual lifestyle is dangerous”? Well, yea, what with heteros beating on us all the time physically, emotionally and mentally. Meanwhile, the heterosexual lifestyle leads to some incredible death-by-spouse, kid abuse, child murder, beatings, stalkings, raping, and other sundry common crimes that fill the prisons.
hunnylvr
Ah, sorry, Jaroslaw.. apparently, they took down the “student handbook” where it had very specific codes on how women are always supposed to look like women and men are always supposed to look like men. They believe god condemns homos, and so any “such behavior” is grounds for expulsion. Most of the people running/teaching at this school are Bob Jones Univ graduates. They pretty much copy their rules for student behavior. Here’s an example from the “BJU” Wiki page (yes, the initials are ironic and make me giggle):
Strict rules govern student life at BJU.[127] Some of these are based directly on the university’s interpretation of the Bible. For instance, the 2005-06 Day Student Handbook states, “Loyalty to Christ results in separated living. Dishonesty, lewdness, sensual behavior, adultery, homosexuality, sexual perversion of any kind, pornography, illegal use of drugs, and drunkenness—all are clearly condemned by God’s word and prohibited here.” Grounds for immediate dismissal include stealing, immorality (including sexual relations between unmarried students), possession of hard-core pornography, use of alcohol or drugs, and participating in a public demonstration for a cause the university opposes.[128] Similar “moral failures” are grounds for terminating the employment of faculty and staff. In 1998, a homosexual alumnus was threatened with arrest if he visited the campus.[129]
Other rules are not based on a specific biblical passage. For instance, the Handbook notes that “there is no specific Bible command that says, ‘Thou shalt not be late to class,’ but a student who wishes to display orderliness and concern for others will not come in late to the distraction of the teacher and other students.”[130] In 2008 a campus spokesman also said that one goal of the dress code was “to teach our young people to dress professionally” on campus while giving them “the ability to…choose within the biblically accepted options of dress” when they were off campus.[131]
Additional rules include the requirement that freshman resident hall students sign out before leaving campus and that resident hall students abide by a campus curfew of 10:30 PM, with lights out at midnight.[132] Students are forbidden to go to movie theaters or listen to contemporary popular music.[133] Male students are required to have conservative hairstyles, and facial hair is prohibited.[134] Women are expected to dress modestly and wear knee-length dresses or skirts to class and religious services.[135] The university will not allow anything displaying the logos of Abercrombie & Fitch or its subsidiary Hollister to be “worn, carried, or displayed” on campus even if the logos are covered because these companies have “shown an unusual degree of antagonism to the name of Christ and an unusual display of wickedness in their promotions.”
Andrew
People need to chill on this lady. I’m gay and I live in Troy. I actually have the right to be pissed about this, and I am not. The LGBT community here has taken this opportunity to educate the community, and press such as this are hurting our efforts.
I get it – she’s a “horrible anti-gay conservative”, but sensationalizing what is no more than an underqualified public official being out of her element is not helping these issues become the educational public experiences they could be.
That’s just it – press outside our local area has taken her words out of context. She did not mean it the way you’re spinning it, she simply does not know how to talk to a diverse culture, and we’re working on that. Please let us to it.
Steve
@Andrew:
The important questions very likely include:
1. When can she be put out of office?
2. What can be done to make that more likely?
3. What can be done to limit the damage between now and then?
Scott Rose
@Andrew: You do not own a sole right to respond to an elected official’s expressions of contempt for a minority. Additionally — “Andrew” — exactly why should anybody trust you? How does a reader know that you are not this political gay basher’s mother?
Mike
@Jim Hlavac: As an extremely open minded hetero, I think perhaps statements like “with heteros beating on us” promotes an us vs them mentality. The people doing the beatings (who sometimes are closeted homosexuals) are most importantly homophobes. Just like the Klan are bigots first white people second. There are plenty of intelligent and reasonable heterosexuals. I do whole heartedly agree with your point, just not the exact wording.
the crustybastard
@Andrew:
Her contempt is for gay people generally, not merely the gay population of Troy, Michigan. So we have the same “right to be pissed off” as you, sport.
“the press outside our local area has taken her words out of context.”
LOL. The cry of the wounded conservative.
Evidently, you don’t understand the word “context.” Quoting the bigoted statements of a bigot is most definitely NOT taking words out of context. If anything, it’s quite the opposite.
bikle
Her latest controversy: Appointing what looks like a tea party bigot to the planning commission. Fight back! http://www.cafepress.com/recalljanice