Florida Man Fired For Proposing Married To His Dog

Ryan Uhler thought he was being funny when he took to Facebook to compare marrying his dog to same-s*x marriage, but he quickly found himself in the doghouse at work. Uhler, 32, a resident of Cape Coral, Florida, posted the following message the day after the Supreme Court’s June 26 ruling that gay marriage is legal everywhere, according to TheBlaze.com.

”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.”  On 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.”

Uhler told The Huffington Post he didn’t mean anything derogatory by the post, and has no problem with the Supreme Court’s decision. However, he also admits being aware that likening same-s*x 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 hasn’t confirmed whether the post was why Uhler was canned, but it doesn’t have to: Florida is an “at will” state, which means employers can fire workers for any reason and without notice, according to WTSP.com.