CAPE CORAL, FL–Ryan Uhler is out of work, and all because of a Facebook post that was prompted by the Supreme Court’s June 26 ruling on same-sex marriage.
Uhler, 32, a resident of Cape Coral, Florida, thought he was being clever when he wrote:
”How is marrying a dog different if you love them? 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.”
Forget that Uhler is already married and the father of one. Forget that he was presumably joking.
Last Tuesday his employer, Grace Investment Group, fired him from his position as a digital marketing specialist.
“I was blindsided,” he told The Huffington Post. “I didn’t think anyone there knew how to use Facebook.”
He also told HuffPost that he didn’t mean anything derogatory, and has no problem with the Supreme Court’s decision, though admits that likening same-sex marriage to an animal wedding is a cliche often used by critics of LGBT rights.
“I’m very neutral about politics. Sometimes, I will try and get a reaction to spark comments and responses.” Uhler told The Huffington 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.”
He said he simply likes to go on Facebook and “stir the pot” sometimes in “either direction,” he said, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Uhler said company officials told him the Facebook post was the reason he was being fired and claimed they told him they were uncomfortable with the connotations of bestiality.
“It wasn’t about that at all,” he said. “It’s about loving a dog. People have told me, ‘I have a dog and I’d make that joke too.'”
Grace Investment Group could not be reached for confirmation. The company, like all others in the “at will” state of Florida, can fire workers for any reason and without notice.
“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 on Facebook,” he told HuffPost.
Photo Credit: capecoral.net