A Democratic state senator in the Michigan tears into her Republican colleagues after they added language to an anti-bullying bill that makes it legal for students, parents, teachers, and administrators to bully LGBT kids in Michigan's schools—so long as the bigots doing the bullying remember to cite "moral" reasons (thanks to Slog tipper Lindsey):

So screaming "GOD HATES FAGS!" in the faces of gay kids doesn't count as bullying. The father of the kid the law was named for has condemned it and the Michigan GOPers who turned it into a license to bully:

"Matt's Safe School Law" passed 26-11 with all Democrats voting against it. The bill is named for Matt Eppling, an East Lansing 14-year-old who committed suicide after being bullied by classmates in 2002. The law includes a section noting it doesn't abridge First Amendment free speech rights or prohibit expression of religious or moral viewpoints—a provision Democrats fear could be used to justify harassment of gay, lesbian or transgender students. "I am ashamed that this could be Michigan's bill on anti-bullying when in fact it is a 'bullying is OK in Michigan law,'" [wrote] Kevin Eppling, Matt's father, whose letter was read by Sen. Glenn Anderson during Wednesday's session.