Sen. Rick Jones Says They're 'just Friends'

[Wild Bill]

From mlive.com;

 

Ingham Co. has 2nd most same-sex couples in Michigan; Sen. Rick Jones says they're 'just friends'

 

 

The number of self-reported same-sex couples in Michigan increased by 42 percent over the 2000 census, but one conservative lawmaker insists the numbers are misleading.

 

According to a report from The Williams Institute at the University of California - Los Angeles School of Law, Michigan is home to 21,782 same-sex couples. That breaks down to 5.6 same-sex couples per 1,000 Michigan households.

 

Washtenaw County recorded the highest number of same-sex couples per 1,000 households with 11.06, blowing the statewide average out of the water. Ingham County came in second with 8.73 same sex-sex couples per 1,000 households. Allegan County was close behind with 8.53 same-sex couples per 1,000 households.

 

The Michigan Messenger reported Tuesday that Sen. Rick Jones, who represents portions of Allegan County, didn't believe the census data reflected the real relationships of Michigan residents.

 

“I don’t think all those are same-sex couples. They are probably just friends,” Jones told the Messenger.

 

Jones apparently missed the memo, which explained just how the couples were reported.

 

"Same-sex couples are identified in households where Person 1 describes his or her

relationship with another adult of the same sex as either a 'husband/wife' or 'unmarried partner'," the memo reads, making Jones' assertion implausable, at best.

 

It does echo, albeit loosely, Speaker of the House Jase Bolger's categorization of same-sex couples as "roommates" earlier this year during the debate over extending benefits to same-sex couples and unmarried straight couples.

 

Democratic political consultant Joe DiSano told the Messenger the growing number of same-sex couples willing to assert their identity as such will have an impact on state's policy toward LGBT equality, but only if the "chokehold" Republicans have on the state Legislature is broken.