Janice Daniels, the mayor of Troy, Michigan, wrote the following on her Facebook page: “I think I am going to throw away my I Love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married there.”

While we respect everyone's First Amendment right to freedom of speech, we believe that no public official should espouse such hateful, bigoted beliefs in a public forum. Her position compels her to represent the interests of her constituents and she cannot do so if she openly discriminates against them.

The people of Troy, Michigan deserve a mayor who is respectful of all its citizens regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, class, age, physical disability, gender or sexual orientation.