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Florida Man Fired for Saying He'll Wed His Dog Because of Same-Sex Marriage
Florida Man Fired for Saying He'll Wed His Dog Because of Same-Sex Marriage
Right-wing fearmongerers have long made the claim that marriage equality will lead to people wedding their pets -- and now one Florida man reveals he's lost his job over parodying the outlandish argument.
Ryan Uhler, a 32-year-old resident of Cape Coral, told local news station WBBH that he took to Facebook to make a "joke" about his deep love of his dog the day after the U.S. Supreme Court's historic June 26 ruling for marriage equality nationwide.
"How is marrying a dog different if you love them?," he wrote. "Today I hope we can focus on doggy-style love. I love my dog Rocco, and he loves me. Hopefully one day we can be married."
"Gay marriage was passed in all 50 states and I thought it [would] be funny to post a picture of me and the dog," the married father of one explained to the news station, adding that he isn't actually opposed to same-sex marriage but likes to "stir the pot ... in either direction" with controversial humor.
But apparently his employer, investment company Grace Tax Advisory Group, didn't care for the joke. Uhler was quickly fired from his position as a digital marketing specialist.
"I was blindsided. I didn't think anyone there knew how to use Facebook," Uhler recalled of his response to the Huffington Post. "The reason I'm coming forward about this is that I don't want anyone to make the same mistake I did about posting jokes like this to Facebook."
Uhler says company officials told him he was let go because they were uncomfortable over his post's connotations of bestiality, notes the Post. But Uhler maintains that the joke is one anyone would make.
"It wasn't about [bestiality] at all," he explained. "It's about loving a dog. People have told me, 'I have a dog and I'd make that joke too.'" He stood by the quip in his video interview with WBBH (included below), saying he'd still marry Rocco if the act were legal.
Grace Tax Advisory Group has not publicly commented on the decision, but trial lawyer Scott Goldberg told the station that the company was well within their right to fire Uhler, despite his assessment that the decision was "a little bit over the line." Florida companies, as "at-will" employers, are not required to give staff a reason or notice before firing them.
Uhler, now seeking a new job, concluded that he hopes his words hadn't spread hate because he has gay loved ones.
"I will try and get a reaction to spark comments and responses," he shared with the Post. "I really didn't want to offend. I have gay people I know and love and I wouldn't want to offend them, but they know my sense of humor."
Learn more in the WBBH report below.
