Marion developmental disabilities board president condemns anti-gay River Valley speech

The Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities (MCBDD) board president this week spoke out against the "hurtful comments" from another board member's anti-gay speech at the River Valley graduation on May 27.

The board met for the first time on Monday since newly appointed board member Jim McGuire told the graduates, "Choose a spouse, I suggest. I also strongly suggest to make sure to choose Biblical principles, you know, a male with a female and female with a male."

Though McGuire was not speaking on behalf of the board, people from Marion and beyond reached out to the DD Board to ask for McGuire's removal after he encouraged graduates to pursue heterosexual relationships in his Distinguished Alumni speech.

' I felt like crying': River Valley alumni's anti-gay commencement speech sparks outrage

Anti-gay comments: McGuire refuses to resign from DD board after River Valley graduation speech

After opening the meeting and before providing time for public comment, Board President Gary Branson reiterated where the organization stood on the matter, reminding the community the board had no say in whether or not McGuire was to be removed.

DD board president: 'We do not discriminate'

"Over the last few weeks, many in the Marion community have expressed their displeasure with the comments made by a member of the MCBDD board. MCBDD has an overriding mission of inclusion. We do not discriminate on the basis of one’s gender, age, religion or sexual orientation. Comments such as these that hide behind religious rhetoric are hurtful and do not further the cause of inclusion," he said.

Branson explained that of the seven board members, five are appointed by the commissioners, and two are appointed by the probate court.

The Marion Public Library executive director then added some personal notes, saying as a public librarian he supports free speech and hopes the "bigoted comments" comments can yield conversations about acceptance and tolerance.

"As a gay man, I want to say how sad I am that in 2022, individuals like me must still hear and experience such hurtful comments. That such hate continues to thrive is sometimes rather shocking. I can only look to the future and hope that people will start thinking about those they are hurting when they make comments that are not inclusive," he concluded.

The Board of DD previously advocated for McGuire's voluntary resignation or removal by those who appointed him, the Marion County Commissioners, from his unpaid position, explaining the speech was contrary to the board's mission and values.

Because he refused to resign from his position and was not removed from his public office by the commissioners, McGuire sat on the board during the Tuesday meeting through these comments.

Some community members speak in support of McGuire, free speech

Much like the River Valley Local Schools board meeting June 6, some members of the Marion community showed up at the Tuesday meeting to express support for McGuire and his First Amendment right to free speech during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Your support helps keep the lights on at the Marion Star. Stay connected with our daily stories, in-depth reporting and more by

clicking Subscribe

One woman who spoke, Vicki Radabaugh spoke in support of the First Amendment and McGuire's right to express his views to the graduating class.

“I have to just show my support and say, if that if you disagree then it’s OK, because we have the right to disagree. I am going to fight for your right to have an opinion just as much as I’m going to fight for the right to have my own, and again, I do not think there was anything that was said that spoke hate,” she said.

"Including doesn’t mean I have to agree with you,” Radabaugh later concluded.

Following the meeting, Radabaugh's friend Theresa Willis who had spoken earlier in the Tuesday meeting said she thought McGuire's words were "affirming a healthy standard."

"He was not hateful or unkind. I cannot say that about some of the opposing views," Willis said.

Other Marion County residents call for McGuire's resignation from board

In the meeting, others expressed their hurt and disappointment with McGuire's words, with some deciding to speak at the last minute in order to have the opportunity to address McGuire in person.

Marion County resident Robb Koons, a brother to a River Valley graduate, said he listened as McGuire overpowered the graduation for the graduates. He said using the First Amendment as a defense was wrong.

“Had the commencement speaker been an LGBT activist stating, ‘You can marry whoever you want, whether it’s a man or a woman of the same sex,’ there would have been outrage over that,” he said.

After River Valley commencement: Marion Commissioners vote to not remove McGuire from DD board

Anti-gay commencement speech: Despite pleas from students, River Valley won't apologize

“Jim, I’m asking you to resign from the board. The community wants it. People on this board want it as well. Do the right thing and do what’s right for this board and this community."

The last public speaker, Dan Johnson, also decided to speak at the last minute.

“I also did not intend to speak, but I’ve been moved to do so. It’s going to be hard,” he said.

A former ordained Lutheran pastor and former Methodist pastor who went to seminary, he explained he knows Biblical principles. Also a former elementary school teacher, he said he knows kids get hurt and kill themselves.

He then came out as intersex to the group, explaining he has walked through such darkness himself.

“I am intersex, and it’s because of voices like yours, Mr. McGuire, that I have tried to kill myself several times,” he said.

“It’s because of that I thought maybe the gospel would help make a better world, and later when I decided to be a schoolteacher, I thought maybe I could help make a better world."

Johnson then asked McGuire what he would have recommended Johnson do, being intersex, with regard to his graduation speech.

“As an intersex human being, I would have been the hardest case for your speech to apply to. What would you have directed me to do?” he said.

In response to the Tuesday meeting, McGuire provided the following comment:

"My graduation speech never said anti- anything or any negative statements," he said.

Story by: Sophia Veneziano 740-564 -5243 | sveneziano@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion DD board president condemns McGuire's 'bigoted comments'