Andrew Shirvell, the assistant state attorney general fired for blog posts against a gay University of Michigan student body president, is standing behind embattled Republican Dave Agema.
Andrew Shirvell
Marissa McClain | The Michigan Daily
In an interview with MLive, Shirvell lauded Agema's stand "against the radical homosexual agenda."
"I'm proud to support Dave Agema, and I think that attacking him is completely ridiculous and wrong," Shirvell told MLive, adding Agema is "experiencing everything I've experienced over the last two years," including "absolutely uncontrolled hatred and death threats."
Shirvell was fired by the state in 2010 after it was determined he used computers in the attorney general's office to wage an aggressive anti-gay campaign against Chris Armstrong, then the openly gay U-M student body president.
Shirvell's campaign against Armstrong and his firing garnered national attention. Last August, a jury ruled Shirvell owed Armstrong $4.5 million as part of a federal defamation lawsuit.
On Wednesday, Shirvell told MLive he is in the midst of appealing that "outrageous ruling" and still is fighting to get his job back.
Agema has attracted widespread attention since posting an article on Facebook titled "Everyone Should Know These Statistics on Homosexuals."
Purportedly written by "Frank Joseph, M.D.," it contains a number claims about the "filthy" homosexual lifestyle, including a statement that "39-59% of homosexuals are infected with intestinal parasites."
Despite calls for his resignation, Agema has remained unapologetic.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.