Michigan Republican Dave Agema says he is refusing to resign after promoting an article that said “part of the homosexual agenda is to get the public to affirm their filthy lifestyle."
"They say 'Dave's got to withdraw' or 'he's got to resign,' which I'm not going to do," Agema told WWMT Newschannel 3.
Agema, a former lawmaker who now serves as a Michigan Republican National Committeeman, said he posted the article to promote discussion on gay issues within the GOP.
"Now's the time to discuss it, that's why I brought it up," Agema said. "Say, 'oh, you're dividing the party,' no, I don't think so; we're standing on the principle of the party. If the party doesn't stand on its principle, we'll lose our base."
Agema defended much of what was said in the controversial article, which Agema posted to his personal Facebook page in late March. Newschannel 3 reports:
Agema did distance himself from a comment in the article that claimed the homosexual lifestyle was "filthy."
"They quoted as what somebody else said and attributed it to me; I didn't say that," Agema said. "So, do I agree with everything that that guy [said] and the way he said it in the article, no. But he gives a lot of statistics on the results of the health and mental and physical health of the lifestyle and what it causes."
Agema is referring to numbers referenced by the purported author, a writer identifying themselves as Dr. Frank Joseph, which allege that if a person is homosexual, it cuts years off their life.
On Thursday, Agema called calls for his resignation a "joke."
Controversy over Agema's anti-gay beliefs comes just days after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on two cases involving gay couples' rights.
Watch a video of Agema's interview with Newschannel 3 above.
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