Democrats: Michigan GOP Tolerates Anti-Gay Bias

Associated Press

Wednesday December 18, 2013

The chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee has joined leading state Democrats in condemning Michigan Republicans for their handling of anti-gay remarks by a GOP National Committee member and their failure to extend civil rights to gays.

Democratic National Committee leader Debbie Wasserman Schultz joined U.S. Senate candidate Gary Peters and gubernatorial candidate Mark Shauer at a gay rights forum Tuesday in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale.

Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema attacked gay marriage and accused gays of seeking free health care out of fear of AIDS.

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has condemned Agema but hasn't urged his resignation. Snyder says he'd consider but won't lead the push for expanding the state's civil rights act to cover sexual orientation.

Wasserman Schultz says "intolerance is in the Republican Party's DNA."

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