REPORT: Married Michigan State Rep Leaked Gay Hooker Scandal About Himself To Hide Affair With Fellow Married Rep

Back in June, I reported that Michigan Tea Party state reps Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat had introduced a trio of anti-gay marriage bills, two of which would have outlawed all civil marriages. Under their proposed bills, only "a minister of the Gospel, cleric, or religious practitioner” would be allowed to issue marriage licenses and perform weddings. Today the Detroit News has a juicy follow-up:

State Rep. Todd Courser planned the distribution of a fictional email alleging he had sex with a male prostitute in a bid to conceal his relationship with Rep. Cindy Gamrat, according to audio recordings obtained by The Detroit News. Courser, a Lapeer Republican, said on one recording the email was designed to create “a complete smear campaign” of exaggerated, false claims about him and Gamrat so a public revelation about the legislators’ relationship would seem “mild by comparison.” Interviews with former House employees and the recordings show freshman lawmakers Courser and Gamrat, R-Plainwell, used their taxpayer-funded offices to maintain and cover up their relationship. Courser, 43, and Gamrat, 42, rose from the ranks of tea party activism, battled establishment Republicans to win seats in the House last year and formed their own legislative coalition.

Both reps are opposite-married with three children each. From Gamrat's campaign page: "Our nation was built upon a Judeo-Christian foundation and has been blessed by the hand of Providence. I will stand STRONG for religious freedom against any attacks that may come it's way."

More from the Detroit News:

Written using the pseudonym George Rathburn, the sexually explicit email was received by Republicans on May 20 and 21, the two days following Courser’s meeting with Graham. The missive claimed Courser was removed from the House GOP caucus after being caught having “paid male on male sex behind a prominent Lansing night club,” among other claims. During the May 19 meeting, Courser twice read aloud portions of a draft email to Graham. Most of the sentences Courser recited match copies of the email sent to Republicans and obtained by The News. “Nobody’s gonna believe any of that,” Graham said about the draft email. “Correct,” said Courser, who then added: “No, they’ll believe some of it. They’ll believe some of it.” Courser does not explicitly say he wrote the letter, only telling Graham “it’s already written” and that Gamrat “agreed” with sending it.

Hit the second link above to listen to the audio files. (Tipped by JMG reader Rob)

MICHIGAN: Marriage Attorneys Petition State For $2 Million In Compensation

Via Detroit's ABC affiliate:

The six lawyers who worked on the case against Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage are asking for nearly $2 million from the state to cover some of their fees. In all, the six attorneys - Carole Stanyar, Dana Nessel, Kenneth Mogill, Robert Sedler, Mary Bonauto and Vickie Henry - said the total calculation came to $1,927,450 for their fees. Every attorney charged $350 an hour, with three of them putting in over 1,000 hours of work each in the case. Though the Supreme Court ruled in favor of their case, there is a provision through what is called the private attorney general doctrine that not only makes it, "possible for non-affluent litigants to obtain legal representation, but to reward attorneys whose services has benefited the public interest."

The attorneys say their work on the marriage case made it impossible to take other cases for the last three years. See their filing.

VIDEO: Michigan Plaintiffs React

Tissues, you'll need tissues.

SCOTUS RULES FOR MARRIAGE!!!

MICHIGAN: Crackpot Tea Party Reps Intro Three New Anti-Gay Marriage Bills

Freshman Michigan Tea Party state reps Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat have introduced a trio of  anti-gay marriage bills, two of which are so theocratic that you just have to laugh. Via Eclectablog:

House Bill 4731 changes the current law covering the ability of a couple to get married in secret (“without publicity”) to make that option available only to opposite-sex couples. It actually explicitly refers to a person’s “marriage to a person of the opposite sex”. The mention of “clergy” is important because a second bill, House Bill 4733, would restrict the issuance and signing of marriage licenses only to “clergy” which they define as “a minister of the Gospel, cleric, or religious practitioner.” Finally, House Bill 4732 would make it illegal for anyone who is not a “minister of the Gospel, cleric, or religious practitioner” to perform a marriage. So: No secret gay marriages. Only clergy can issue and sign marriage licenses, and only clergy can perform weddings. No government officials involved, marriage becomes the exclusive bailiwick of religion. Atheists can just suck it up.

In the extremely remote possibility that these bills were to be approved, it seems like an awful lot of gay folks would suddenly declare themselves to be members of the clergy. Not that there's a shortage of gay-friendly churches that would be delighted to be able to issue marriage licenses.

RELATED: In April, Gamrat was kicked off of the Michigan House Republican caucus, apparently for violating confidentiality rules by commenting on Facebook about a pending issue. Unrelated to that, this is from her campaign site: "Our nation was built upon a Judeo-Christian foundation and has been blessed by the hand of Providence. I will stand STRONG for religious freedom against any attacks that may come it's way."

Ryan Anderson Celebrates Hate Bills

Anderson writes for the Heritage Foundation:

Earlier today, the North Carolina House voted to override the veto of S.B. 2, a bill that protects the religious liberty of civil servants in that state. Because the Senate had already voted to override the veto as well, the bill is now law. This is good public policy, and it is a shame that it was vetoed in the first place. The law will now protect magistrates who object to performing solemnizing ceremonies for same-sex marriages and clerks who object to issuing same-sex marriage licenses. It also makes clear that no one can be denied a marriage license, but magistrates or clerks could recuse themselves from the process behind the scenes should they have sincere objections to same-sex marriage. So it’s a win-win for everyone. No one loses anything. After all, government employees have rights, and those rights should be protected. Had this bill not become law, magistrates and clerks who decline to take part in same-sex marriages could have been removed from office, and “shall” be guilty of a crime that is punishable by up to 120 days in jail.

Lambda Legal: Michigan & North Carolina Laws Are Worse Than Indiana's RFRA

Via press release from Lambda Legal:

Today was a discouraging day for equality and justice. Michigan today enacted a law that allows state-funded adoption and foster care agencies to turn people away on religious grounds, and North Carolina enacted a law allowing government magistrates to refuse to perform civil marriage ceremonies for couples whose union they object to on religious grounds. For anyone with delusions that the work for LGBT rights is close to being done, think again. These laws will be used to deny loving homes to Michigan children in need and to subject same-sex couples to the indignity of being turned away by government-funded agencies in Michigan and by government officials in North Carolina. That that discrimination is based on religion is no excuse. Discrimination inspired by religious views is still discrimination. These measures are in some ways worse than what happened in Indiana because Michigan and North Carolina will be using tax dollars to support such discrimination. Good public policy helps people--it shouldn't hurt them. We expect Lambda Legal's Help Desk will light up with calls from those who suffer discrimination imposed by these laws, and we stand ready to help.

Their help desk is here.

MICHIGAN: Activists Call On Gov. Snyder To Veto Anti-Gay Adoption Bills

Yesterday the Michigan Senate approved a trio of anti-gay adoption bills that will soon head to the desk of Gov. Rick Snyder.  LGBT groups are calling on Snyder to veto the bills, but so far he hasn't tipped his hand.

Gov. Rick Snyder has been coy about whether he'll support the bills if they reach his desk. He said earlier this year that the adoption bills would need further review and that he's in favor of children being adopted by "loving families" and "loving parents." He didn't specify if that included same-sex couples. On Wednesday, Snyder spokeswoman Sara Wurfel, said the governor will carefully review the bills "through the lens of what will ensure that we are taking care of the most Michigan children, and matching them with their forever families." Critics of the bills have derided the legislation as state-sanctioned discrimination — especially because many of the faith-based agencies receive public funding from the state. But supporters say it will help keep all options open for adoptive parents, while not forcing the agencies to compromise their principles for fear of legal retaliation or face closure because of a loss of state funding.

Lambda Legal provides the link to contact Snyder.

MICHIGAN: Anti-Gay Adoption Bill Nears Final Approval After Senate Passage

Via the Detroit News:

The state Senate gave final approval Wednesday to legislation allowing faith-based foster care and adoption agencies to invoke “sincerely held religious beliefs” to turn away gay and lesbian couples wanting to adopt children. Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, said the legislation “protects the valuable role” of the state’s many adoption agencies with varied goals and “better supports” faith-based agencies already handling state-funded adoptions. Meekhof said the bills as “very close to my heart. I am the proud product of a faith-based adoption,” he said. The Republican-controlled Senate passed the bills on party-line votes of 26-12. Democrats tried to derail the legislation by arguing it would give faith-based adoption agencies a license to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, as well as those of other faiths who want to raise 13,000 Michigan children waiting for adoption. They unsuccessfully sought a series of amendments to the bills.

The bill first passed in the House earlier this year in a 65-44 vote. It now goes back to the House for reconciliation, after which it goes to Gov. Rick Snyder. 

MICHIGAN: Mother Says Outed "Grindr Pastor" Told Her Gay Son To Kill Himself UPDATE: The Son Speaks Out Himself

Via the CBS affiliate in Flint, Michigan:

A mother came forward with new accusations against the local pastor who resigned after being outed as gay. She said what that pastor told her son nearly drove him to suicide. Jennifer Kish is angered over the recent revelation that Matthew Makela might be gay, not because of his alleged sexual preference, but because of how he treated her son while they were parishioners at his church. Makela is a Midland pastor who resigned after being outed by a website. The website said it outed Makela because of his outspoken stance in recent years against homosexuality, a stance one woman said was particularly harmful to her family. Kish said her then 17-year-old son Tyler suffered from serious depression and was considering suicide because he was told by Makela he was going to hell because he was gay. "If he's going to hell for being gay then he might as well commit suicide," Kish said. Makela is the subject of scrutiny because of the alleged hypocrisy. The website Queerty posted a conversation it claims shows Makela soliciting sex with another man on the app Grindr, an app geared toward gay and bisexual men.

UPDATE: Some readers have noted that the mother in the above story may be putting words into the mouth of the so-called Grindr Pastor, who may have "only" told her son that being gay was as bad a sin as committing suicide. In the clip below, the teenager tells the story himself.

Queerty Outs Closeted Anti-Gay Pastor

Queerty reports:

Until 2 p.m. on Monday, the ‘Our Church Staff’ section of St. John’s Lutheran Church and School’s website described Reverend Matthew Makela as an associate pastor who enjoys, “family, music, home improvement, gardening and landscaping, and sports.” Screenshots obtained by Queerty from a source who asked that his name be withheld shed light on some of the Reverend’s other favorite past times — namely nude make out sessions and sex with other men. Of course, how someone behaves between the sheets is really nobody’s business but his own, except when he’s actively doing damage to others. We’ve seen it time and time again. The lawmaker who spends his days fighting against gay rights and his nights cruising for bottoms, or the ex-gay activist who isn’t quite as ex-gay as he’d like everyone to believe. Which brings us back to Makela. The married father of five from Midland, Michigan doesn’t just preach Jesus’ love and help with bake sales. He also uses his position of authority and respect in his community to broadcast his self-loathing view on same-sex attraction.

Hit the link for much more, including anti-gay and anti-trans statements from this totally gay pastor.

Haters Post Michigan Billboards

Last week the Crackpot Coalition (Porno Pete, Scott Lively, Janet Porter, etc) delivered boxes and boxes of hilarious restraining orders to the US Supreme Court. This week they are posting the above message on electronic billboards across Michigan, which is one of the four states with cases under consideration. The images rotate between the identities seen above. Local activists have launched a GoFundMe drive to post answering messages. (Tipped by JMG reader Corey)

Early Reports As Hearings Conclude

Johnson reports for the Washington Blade.

Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

"We'll have oral argument before the Supreme Court this week. Ted Cruz has introduced two new bills in Congress to stop marriage, but they may backfire on him. And the National Organization for Marriage has lost yet another court case."

Michigan Womyn's Music Festival To End

Via the Advocate:

The 40th Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, to be held this August, will be the last, its founder announced today. The storied women-only event, first held in 1976, has been the subject of controversy in recent years because of its exclusion of transgender women, with many artists and organizations deciding to boycott. Founder and organizer Lisa Vogel gave no reason for ending the fest, however, in a Facebook post announcing the decision. “We have known in our hearts for some years that the life cycle of the Festival was coming to a time of closure,” she wrote. “Too often in our culture, change is met only with fear, the true cycle of life is denied to avoid the grief of loss. But change is the ultimate truth of life. Sisters — I ask you to remember that our 40 year Festival has outlived nearly all of her kin. She has served us well. I want us all to have the opportunity to experience the incredible full life cycle of our beloved Festival, consciously, with time to celebrate and yes, time to grieve.”

Acts that have pulled out of the event over the exclusion of transwomen include the Indigo Girls and Lea DeLaria. Earlier this month the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Task Force were criticized for removing their names from a petition calling for full inclusion.

MICHIGAN: Anti-Gay Car Shop Owner Blames Vandalism On "Evil Homosexuals"

Via Michigan Live:

Already targeted by an egg-thrower and protestors, a Grandville auto shop came under fire from a can of spray paint days after its outspoken owner created a controversy with his anti-gay Facebook posts. Graffiti was sprayed on the Dieseltec building overnight. The message: "I (heart sign) NUTS." Dieseltec owner Brian Klawiter last week created headlines and set off a social-media firestorm when announced on Facebook he would refuse to provide service to openly gay customers. The stance led to a protest Saturday outside of his business at 2875 Ottawa Ave. SW. Grandville Police Chief Dan Steere on Monday said he had no intention of stationing a police officer at the place, but said police would keep an eye on the area with additional patrols.

Klawiter has posted more photos on his Facebook page. The photos include a window apparently broken by a rock and the message "Bash Back" written on the windshield of a truck.  He writes:

Well, folks, as we predicted, it didn't take long for the ugly face of the homosexual movement to present itself. What started out with "mere" death threats against myself and my family and homosexuals spamming my Facebook page with gay porn shots, has escalated to physical violence. See the pics below. We called police to file a report this morning, and City of Grandville Officer John Davis responded. The officer arrived, looked around, took a few notes, chuckled, and said "turn it in to the insurance company." He gave us a Police Report number 15-2779, but did not take the rock which has a fingerprint on it. The homosexual agenda is evil, and is prepared to destroy anyone who gets in its way, or who calls homosexuality a sin. Today it's us; tomorrow, it could be you.

At this point there's no way to know who damaged the shop or if it was an inside job meant to further inflame anti-gay sentiment. But it should go without saying that our people should not be doing things like this.

RELATED: In 2009 a Michigan-based gay anarchist group calling themselves Bash Back was sued in federal court by the Alliance Defending Freedom after they invaded a local church, pulled the fire alarm, and threw leaflets at parishioners. At that time I wrote: "It was a dumbass, pointless, unfocused action directed at hapless nobodies. Nothing but a black eye for our movement."

MICHIGAN: Gov. Rick Synder Opposes Marriage Of Terminally Ill Gay Man

Via the Washington Blade:

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced in a legal brief filed late last week he opposes state recognition of the marriage of gay man in the Wolverine State who’s terminally ill. In a five-page brief dated April 16 and submitted to the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Michigan, Snyder argues Michigan shouldn’t be required to recognize the marriage of Bruce Morgan, an East Grand Rapids, Mich., resident who’s suffering from brain cancer and married his partner, Brian Merucci in New York in 2013. A federal court had struck down Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage in March 2014, but the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision, upholding the state’s prohibition on gay nuptials. That case is now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

See Synder's brief.

MICHIGAN: Anti-Gay Christian Car Repair Shop Owner Has No Business License

Via Michigan Live:

The auto shop owner who posted on Facebook that he would refuse to serve openly gay customers does not have a city business license, according to Grandville administrators. Brian Klawiter earlier this year told the City Council that requiring a license violates his constitutional rights because it authorizes city inspectors to enter his property without a warrant. "This is a blatant and intentioned violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution," Klawiter told the council on Jan. 26. "I dispute your lawful ability to do what you claim. I will not sign the application. I cannot and will not give up my civil rights, especially when requested by a government entity for which the Constitution was designed to limit the power of. Would you sign something giving me the right to search your home as I pleased?"

Business licenses cost $100 and thus far the city has not attempted to enforce the law in Klawiter's case. He claims that his anti-gay stand has resulted in death threats, but none have been reported by the local media. The most recent post to his Facebook page has been edited since yesterday and now concludes:

I set some ground rules for how I operate my life; do I not have the right to do that? If we both have the right to our opinions at what point does it become acceptable to destroy someones reputation, and the reputation of everyone they know, threaten to kill and destroy because you disagree. The evil in this situation is clearly identifiable. Just read the comments below. I never threatened to intentionally put someones vehicle together wrong, use you sense, (although it may not have been the best way to elaborate) You need a bolt and a nut to hold something together, two bolts can not, and two nuts can not, you must have one of each, a male and a female. Get it now? To all of our supporters, there is a semi-local preacher of some kind rallying a protest tomorrow Sat. 12:00-2p, they are gonna "occupy" something near by. We invite our supporters to join us for some fellowship, we will roll out the grill (bring something for us to cook up for you, and byob) and we can enjoy a sunny afternoon together with our guns, our God, our freedom.

RELATED: Michigan is one of 28 states with no state-level anti-discrimination protection for LGBT citizens, however dozens of municipalities have enacted local ordinances.

Fallout Begins For Michigan Car Shop

MICHIGAN: Christian Car Shop Owner Vows To Deny Service To Gay Customers

Via the Grand Rapids NBC affiliate:

The owner of a Grandville auto repair shop says he won’t hesitate “to refuse service to an openly gay person or persons.” Brian Klawiter, the owner of Dieseltec on Ottawa Avenue in Grandville, posted the statement to his company’s Facebook page on Tuesday because he says the voices of those who have Christian, conservative values are often overshadowed by those who do not. “I want to have a voice about this,” Klawiter told 24 Hour News 8 Wednesday. “I want to be heard about this. It’s challenging to decide to say I’m on the opposing side of what’s seen as the popular view.” The line that’s drawing the most conversation is the one that addresses “openly gay” individuals. “I would not hesitate to refuse service to an openly gay person or persons. Homosexuality is wrong, period,” Klawiter wrote. “If you want to argue this fact with me then I will put your vehicle together with all bolts and no nuts and you can see how that works.”

The Facebook post is here.

UPDATE: Here's the latest post on his Facebook page:

Listen up folks, If you have an opposing view to mine that IS OK, what is NOT OK is threats to kill me, my family, and friends; threats to burn down my shop and my home. I will stand firm on my views and will not back down, however, because of the ridiculous backlash I am requesting any supporters of ours that would be willing to stand with us to help secure my home and business. (There also seems to be a TON of confusion about one of my comments, the bolt and nut thing was a reference to physiology, bolt penis and nut vagina. I DID NOT threaten to purposely put a vehicle together wrong to harm someone.)