Part One of Two on the Growing ‘Gay’ Threat to Freedom

It’s still a free country…well, at least mostly free (for those fortunate enough to make it out of their mother’s womb alive or who don’t live in strong “gay agenda” states like California). Houston-area small business owners Todd and Sabrina Farber are free not to do work for a couple of men who proudly embrace homosexual behavior, which the Farbers regard as sinful and deeply offensive. And homosexuals like Michael Lord are free not to do business with the Farbers, and to tell others not to as well.

But notice how that’s not good enough for some pro-“gay” activists; they think what the Farbers did by exercising their freedoms should be illegal. The truth is, many homosexual and “transgender” advocates are quite willing to place their “rights” (read: demands for government-enforced acceptance of their lifestyle) above the freedoms of religion, association and conscience of others.

There can be no doubt that the expansion of “sexual orientation” (pro-homosexuality) laws will result in the steady loss of freedom for those committed to defending healthy, Biblical sexual mores. As with the struggle over abortion, this Titanic battle between competing rights will not go away. Any American who is committed to preserving religious freedom in this great nation should understand the need for repealing all “sexual orientation” laws, lest we face a future like Britain’s where the state is arresting Christians for alleged “homophobic” behavior, which includes passing out Biblical tracts at a “gay” festival.

If such an Orwellian nightmare can happen in the land that gave Western Civilization the Magna Carta, it could happen in the good ol’ USA.

The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

What part of not “prohibiting the free exercise” of religion do pro-homosexual advocates and lawyers not understand? Tomorrow we will discuss a Michigan case in which a radical homosexual activist says it should have been illegal for a Catholic girls school to dismiss an employee who proudly revealed her lesbian relationship in defiance of ancient Catholic teachings.

Stay vigilant. We will not sit back and allow the (In)Tolerance Brigade to steal away our God-given American freedoms in the name of “gay rights.” –Peter LaBarbera, AFT

The following is excerpted from Christian Landscaper Won’t Soil Hands with Work for ‘Gay’ Clients, published Oct 21, 2006, by WorldNet Daily:

…Todd and Sabrina Farber have owned and operated The Garden Guy since 1991 and, like other landscape contractors, use the Internet to show the quality of their past work and to solicit future business.

The Garden Guy was just one of the landscaping businesses Michael Lord and Gary Lackey, a homosexual couple who has been together for nine years, requested bids from earlier this week for the new home they’re building in Houston Heights. Lord said he found The Garden Guy through an Internet search and liked the “before and after” pictures on the website.

“We sent e-mails to several local landscaping companies asking for quotes. Garden Guy called Michael back saying they would like to bid,” Lackey told the Houston Voice. Lord called the company Wednesday morning to set up an appointment.

“Michael was asked if ‘his wife would be home’ when the consultation would take place. He brushed it off, but when he was asked again if his wife would be joining, Michael said, ‘No, but my partner Gary will be.’

“Michael set up the appointment, but a few minutes later we got the e-mail.”

Excerpted from Cargill Firing Energizes Lawmakers, by Jeff Mellott, published Oct 5, 2006, in Daily News Record:

…The company fired Padilla earlier this month after it had received complaints about a sign on his personal pickup truck. The sign asked voters to support a constitutional amendment on marriage that defines the institution as a union between one man and one woman. Voters will take up the amendment on Nov. 7.

Cargill representatives said this week that Padilla, who was a human resources clerk, lost his job because of insubordination.But Padilla believes he was fired because of the sign on his pickup truck.

The company ordered Padilla to remove the sign after receiving complaints about it.

…Padilla’s actions violated company policies on intolerance, the company attorney said in a response dated Oct. 17 to Rita Dunaway of the Valley Family Forum. The attorney added that Padilla had been insubordinate.

The sign Cargill ordered Padilla to remove, the attorney said in the letter, contained a message that other employees could have “reasonably construed as a show of hostility and intolerance toward homosexuals.”

Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell] said, “When people start to see the overreach of the homosexual supporters, they are going to start thinking, ‘There’s an agenda out there.’”

…The amendment, [Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg] said, reflects a constitutional codification of state law.

The Padilla case demonstrates that somebody is suggesting that current state law is offensive and discriminatory, he said.

And, Obenshain continued, somebody also is suggesting that someone who expresses support for current state law ought to be fired.

“To me,” he said, “that’s absurd.”

Continue reading in Daily News Record…

Also read Pro-Marriage Message at Root of Employee’s Dismissal, by Jim Brown and Jody Brown, published Oct 20, 2006, by Agape Press.

Excerpted from Christian BA Employee to Take Legal Action Over Suspension for Wearing Cross, by Jane Merrick, published Oct 14, 2006, by Daily Mail:

…Heathrow check-in worker Nadia Eweida was sent home after refusing to remove the crucifix which breached BA’s dress code.

Miss Eweida, who has an unblemished record during seven years at BA, is suing her employer for religious discrimination after being suspended from work without pay for two weeks.

She said her treatment was all the more extraordinary as she and fellow employees had just undergone “diversity training” – including receiving advice from pressure group Stonewall on how to treat gays and lesbians in the workplace.

…Miss Eweida said last night: “I will not hide my belief in the Lord Jesus. British Airways permits Muslims to wear a headscarf, Sikhs to wear a turban and other faiths religious apparel.”Only Christians are forbidden to express their faith. I am a loyal and conscientious employee of British Airways, but I stand up for the rights of all citizens.”

Continue reading at Daily Mail…

Excerpted from Attack on Religious Freedom Begins in Earnest in Canada – Battleground Homosexuality, by John Henry-Westen, published Oct 6, 2006, by LifeSite News:

The gloves have come off, the Parliamentary debate in Canada has moved beyond homosexual ‘marriage’ and on to refusing freedoms for those with religious beliefs opposed to homosexuality and those with conscientious reasons for opposing it. The mere suggestion of a ‘Defence of Religions Act’, to be put forward should the attempt to restore traditional marriage fail, has created a firestorm in the overwhelmingly pro-gay media and in Parliament with the Liberals, NDP and Bloc arguing ferociously against such a proposal.

The Regina Leader Post newspaper, has joined the fray demonstrating the lack of tolerance for opposition to homosexuality. While the paper would allow for priests to oppose homosexuality publicly, it suggests that opposition by non-clergy should be illegal. “There is an argument to be made for allowing religious leaders leeway in criticizing homosexuality. Many religions have prescriptions against the practice and religious leaders should be permitted to publicly defend their religion’s tenets. But extending that right to rank-and-file members of a religion goes too far,” says the editorial in the paper today.

In today’s Globe and Mail in his column, “Sex, religion, politics, boom“, Rick Salutin, described in Wikepia as “a strong advocate of left wing causes”, castigates those who advocate the religious protection law as “yearning for authoritarian leadership”. He adds that such religious, conservative moral movements have historically given “rise to fascist movements which weren’t necessarily rascist. God, of course, would be the strongest leader.” However, contrary to Salutin’s charges, the Nazis and Italians fascists mercilessly persecuted and murdered those who held traditional Chistian beliefs and especially murdered thousands of clergy who preached faithful Christian doctrine.

The current Prime Minister, while Leader of the Opposition during the introduction of the homosexual ‘marriage’ legislation warned that if passed the legislation would hamper the free speech rights of Canadians opposed to homosexual ‘marriage’ and the freedoms of religious groups in Canada. He promised to protect religious and free speech rights.

However, when the Globe and Mail claimed that a source has revealed a legal proposal to protect religious and free speech freedoms vis a vis homosexual ‘marriage’, the Conservatives denied knowledge of any such measure…

“Given the current climate, DORA would be of value in making clear that expressions of moral and religious opinions about sexual orientation do not amount to hate speech. Already we have seen unfortunate examples in Canada whereby religious Christians who simply have been articulating Church doctrine in regard to homosexuality and gay unions have been censured and punished by human rights tribunals. It is not fanciful to imagine that these same individuals might, in future years, be thrown behind bars for expressing their religious beliefs.”

Continue reading at LifeSite News…

Excerpted from District Threatens Truancy Charges Against Parents Who Keep Kids Home, published Oct 5, 2006, by WorldNet Daily:

The Philadelphia School District has launched a new advance in the battle to indoctrinate school children into the “gay” agenda with its announcement that October is “Gay and Lesbian History Month.”

And a report on Family News in Focus said officials there will make sure parents relinquish their children for that “education.”

“If there is a parent who wants to remove their child from school,” district spokesman Fernando Gallard told the report, “they would have to deal with the truancy regulations.”

…And Peter LaBarbera, president of the conservative Americans for Truth, told Baptist Press in promoting homosexual rights “by definition you have to undermine people’s religious rights and religious beliefs.

“If you have a gay history month, you’re basically saying, ‘This is a wonderful part of American history – homosexual history – let’s celebrate it and let’s teach the kids that this is like civil rights.’ Are they going to teach the role that homosexual behavior had in the onset of HIV and AIDS?”

Continue reading at WorldNet Daily…

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

– I Peter 2:11-12

Excerpted from Psychologist’s Association with Family Group Costs Job, published Oct 4, 2006, by WorldNet Daily:

…Technically, Michael Campion’s work for the department simply was ‘not renewed,’ but since even city officials confirm they have been unable to attract a single complaint about him, pro-family groups are citing liberal interests’ objections to his former association with their efforts as a reason.

“They want to demonize Christians, and they’re willing to play hardball,” Pete LaBarbera, spokesman for the Illinois Family Institute, told WND.

…LaBarbera said Campion’s difficulty was that he was run over by a strong homosexual lobby in the city. He said his own organization also took a hit from a Minneapolis news report that said the IFI opposes civil rights for gays.

“The position we take on a sexual orientation law is that by making a right based on sexual behavior it doesn’t fit the traditional civil rights model,” he said.

…”Obviously he’s being treated because of his Christian association in the past,” LaBarbera said. “People all over the nation have to be watching this case with a great amount of care. If you go to the Catholic church that believes homosexuality is a disorder, does that mean you can’t have a federal job?”

He said simple logic confirms that one cannot determine rights on “how people have sex.”

…”The liberal ‘diversity’ lobby is going after Mike because of his deeply-held religious and moral beliefs. In fact, no homosexual police officers have come forward with charges of bias,” LaBarbera said. “How ironic that the forces of ‘tolerance’ are now leading a new assault on civil rights, this time against people of faith.”

Continue reading at WorldNet Daily…

From the news brief entitled OutFront Minnesota Leads Effort to Investigate Police Psychologist, posted Aug 31, 2006, by OutFront Minnesota:

OutFront Minnesota would like our community to know about recent developments with a police psychologist who’s been suspended and is being investigated by the Minneapolis Police Department.

This suspension comes as the result of work that OutFront Minnesota is doing with the Minneapolis Police Community Relations Council (PCRC). OutFront Minnesota serves on the PCRC, along with other council members representing other traditionally marginalized communities. Law enforcement is also represented on the council. OutFront Minnesota, in addition to several other PCRC members and law enforcement personnel, raised significant concerns about Dr. Michael Campion, after meeting with him for the first time on Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006…

Continue reading at OutFront Minnesota…

Followup – From the news brief entitled OutFront Minnesota Frustrated at Minneapolis Police Decision, posted Oct 3, 2006, by OutFront Minnesota:

…OutFront Minnesota is highly concerned about the use of a police psychological evaluator who has long standing ties to an anti-GLBT organization, as well his writings from the 1970’s advocating “conversation therapy” for GLBT people. During the Police Community Relations Council questioning of Dr. Campion, he gave no indication that he had renounced any of these beliefs and was, in our view, evasive in answering the questions…

Continue reading at OutFront Minnesota… 

Excerpted from Psychologist Can Again Seek City Contracts, by Chao Xiong, published Oct 10, 2006, in Minneapolis Star Tribune:

The psychologist suspended by the Minneapolis Police Department in August after concerns surfaced about his past affiliation with a group opposing civil rights for gays will be allowed to bid for future work with the city.

Interim Police Chief Tim Dolan rescinded the suspension of Campion, Barrow and Associates in a Sept. 6 memo to the City Council. The Champaign, Ill.-based company came under fire after concerns were raised about Michael A. Campion’s time with the Illinois Family Institute. His company began screening potential officers for the department more than a year ago and also works with other agencies in Minnesota.

The chief’s memo said there has been “no specific allegation of sexual bias” regarding Campion and that information on sexual orientation is not collected in the hiring process. Concerns about a disparate racial impact in his screening process also were unfounded, police said. That means Campion can throw his hat in the ring, along with other firms, when the department solicits firms to conduct future psychological testing.

…Peter LaBarbera said Campion was one of their board members up until about a year ago. LaBarbera asserts, and police confirm, that there was a verbal agreement made before the suspension that Campion’s company would conduct some evaluations for the department. But Campion was notified last week — after Dolan’s memo — that the work was going to a different company, according to LaBarbera and Minneapolis Deputy Chief Don Harris.

…Waggoner Kloek, who is also the anti-violence program manager for the gay rights group OutFront Minnesota, said her main concern with Campion is that he was unable to adequately explain how he separated his personal beliefs from his work during a meeting with some PCRC members in August…

Continue reading at Star Tribune…