Apparently our topsy turvy society now thinks that discussing "Natural Family, Marriage, and Family Values" is hateful and discriminatory!

This case involves two African-American, Christian females employed in the Community and Economic Development Agency (“CEDA”) of the City of Oakland. They observed that employee organizations were allowed to use the City’s employee email system and bulletin boards to promote their activities, viewpoints and values.

This included the Gay Straight Employee Alliance, which aggressively promoted its views regarding gay sex, homosexual marriage, and other issues.

Among other activities, the Alliance sponsored “Happy Coming Out Day”, which stimulated discussions in the work place regarding personal sexual practices. A broad range of issues and viewpoints were exhibited on the employee email system and bulletin boards.

One email criticized Christians and the Bible, stating, “I understand that this is a difficult concept for some who feel the Bible teaches them that sexual identity as a gay or lesbian is wrong. The Bible also says “slaves obey your master” and “women obey your husbands”. I personally think the good book needs some updating.”

Other postings on the email system or bulletin boards discussed war and peace, racism, slavery, communism, Osama bin Laden, personal sexuality, sports, Jewish cultural events, Hispanic cultural events, and the first annual holiday mixer of the Gay Straight Employee Alliance.

Based on their Christian values, CEDA employees Robin Christy and Regina Rederford often did not agree with the email and bulletin board postings of other employees. But instead of complaining to restrict the freedom of others, they formed their own employee organization, the Good News Employee Association, which met regularly to pray and discuss their Christian perspectives on the major issues of the day.

Christy and Rederford were shocked when they were denied the same access to the employee email system for their announcements as other employee organizations. This reflected the hostility to their Christian values in the City bureaucracy.

The City of Oakland decided that the words “of a homophobic nature” that “were determined to promote sexual orientation based harassment” were “Natural Family, Marriage, and Family Values.” Hicks’ letter clearly indicates that use of these words violates AI 71 and is subject to the sanction of termination.

The letter also clearly indicates that if Rederford and Christy continued to use such language they would be terminated.

In other words, when Christians or others who believe in traditional moral values use these words, the communication involves anti-homosexual discrimination and hate speech.

This case consequently becomes a shocking precedent for limiting the free speech rights of Christians and other advocates of traditional moral values, and for punishing them for expression and advocacy of those Christian beliefs and traditional values, under anti-discrimination laws.

The precedent would not even be limited to public employees, as the ruling would bear on use of these words by others who hold to Christian and traditional moral values and whether their expression indicated violations of anti-discrimination prohibitions.

http://www.theacru.org/amicusbriefs/...s_argument.pdf


No doubt the more liberal, tolerant posters will be outraged at this blatant, unConstitutional discrimination.

I believe that if the KKK and the neo-Nazis are allowed to spew their bile, these women should be allowed to spew their anti-gay bigotry.

It's funny that "pro-family" can be called bigotry. But "pro-homosexual" denegrating of the bible isn't an attack on religion? That's utter BS. It takes the minimum of intelligence to see that homosexuality is "wrong". Just because some humans have "evolved" to where we think that sex is more about "social bonding" and "entertainment" than the obvious, doesn't mean we all have to subscribe to that drivel.

That's like a cocaine addict claiming the nose is for introducing drugs to the body. Ignoring the lungs, windpipe and diaphragm that are attached to it.

Free speech issues...

"Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech..." -1st Amendment to the Constitution.

This is wrong, I really don't care what anyone says. Free Speech is free speech. They weren't disturbing a funeral or anything.

The term, "Family Values", is so politicized these days though, makes you wonder what was contained in those E-mails. Though, I'm doubtful that anything was said that was too extreme("I HATE GAYS! THEY RAPE KIDS!").

I'm against Communism, but if someone were say something positive about it, I wouldn't restrict their right to say what they please.

Who said that was all they were doing? Oh yeah the lawyers that filed suit on their behalf.

Thank you for being fair and balanced, at least on this issue.

I hope you can persuade some of your fellow homosexual activists to join you

WorldNetDaily: Is opposing same-sex marriage 'hate speech'?

WorldNetDaily: N-word fine, but 'family values' banned

I did a google and could find nothing that sounded like hate speech.

I did you moronic twit it is asking for a Judical review filed by one side. What does the other side have to say? Your presentation is not fair and balanced you are presenting one side that is being argued by an advocate.