Reading Shirvell’s drivel

For the past six months, an assistant attorney general for the state of Michigan, Andrew Shirvell, has filled his downtime by writing a blog.

The blog, titled “Chris Armstrong Watch”, refers to the openly gay president of the University of Michigan’s student assembly. Shirvell has used this blog to attack Armstrong, whom he accuses of a laundry list of indiscretions.

The majority of the accusations Shirvell has made are directly related to his belief that Armstrong is abusing his administrative role to advance a “radical homosexual agenda.”

Armstrong has previously supported gender-neutral housing for transgender students who haven’t undergone sex reassignment surgery.

Shirvell, an alumnus of the University of Michigan, claims his concerns aren’t driven by Armstrong’s sexuality but by his “homosexual agenda.” It’s unclear exactly what this agenda entails.

It’s difficult to take Shirvell’s role as the concerned alumnus seriously when one considers his single-minded focus on Armstrong’s sexuality. He charges Armstrong with hosting an orgy in his residence room in 2009 and attempting to inculcate other student government figures and first-year students into “the homosexual lifestyle.” Shrivell has defended his actions by insisting that he worked on the blog in his personal time, but this doesn’t excuse the fact that his criticism of Armstrong focuses almost entirely on Armstrong’s personal life.

Shirvell has also admitted to protesting outside of Armstrong’s house.

Homophobia may not be illegal, but discrimination certainly is. While Shirvell may claim he’s exercising his First Amendment rights, there’s a difference between freedom of speech and libel. It would be troubling enough for an ordinary member of the public to target and harass one individual over their sexual orientation.

While Michigan’s attorney general was quick to indicate that Shirvell’s opinions are his alone, it’s absurd that an individual in Shirvell’s position has been allowed to keep his job.

Shirvell should note that he has recourse to indicate his displeasure with Armstrong’s decisions without attacking him personally. The University of Michigan’s student assembly is a body within the university itself and Shirvell could lodge a complaint with the University directly.

However, he’ll need to be more specific than stating a “homosexual agenda.”

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