Something like this happened in San Diego last year, I think...same incident?
Firefighters ordered to be in San Fran Gay pride parade
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/418868.aspx
July 30, 2008
CBNNews.com - Outside of gay marriage, another legal battle is brewing in California
Four San Diego firefighters ordered to work a gay pride parade are suing the city for ****** harassment and the violation of their freedom of speech.
"Me and my crew were given a direct order to be in that parade," captain John Ghiotto said.
Ghiotto had served with the San Diego fire department for 19 years before receiving parade orders for the first time. He says he and his fellow crew members feared retaliation if they refused to go along. "My engineer was on the captain's list. I was on the battalion chief's list, and if you go against any type of order I would be suspended on the spot," he explained.
The crew went ahead with orders. Pictures from the day show an event charged with ****** activity and nudity.
"The stuff that goes on in that parade, if I was to go out and take pictures of some of that stuff we saw out there and hang it in the fire station, I would be disciplined," Ghiotto said.
The firefighter's lawsuit charges the city of San Diego with ****** harassment, violation of freedom of speech and retaliation.
The San Diego city attorney called the retaliation charges "petty" and "not true."
City officials did admit, however, they got "caught short" on the day of the parade and asked Ghiotto's crew for help.
Now the city has an explicit parade policy-- strictly volunteer.
The fire department has participated in the annual gay pride event for 15 years with no complaints until now.
wow, just wow
Something like this happened in San Diego last year, I think...same incident?
And this is when I DO have a problem with gays! Do what you like in the comforts of your own home but prance around in a bloody parade and worse force non-gays to be there, is way over the f**ken line!
The parade must have been flaming if they had firefighters there.
The "gays" didn't force them, their own Fire Dept did. It's still BS though.Originally Posted by Bluewings
Sounds like a good day for everyone to call in sick.
That is so gay!
Why do they order Firefighters to take part?
If I had a word in this issue, IŽd send them construction workers, india... uhm, I mean: native americans, leather-clad bikers and policemen. And maybe sailors. Wonder if bd popeye still got his uniform...
Homophobia at it's best.
As a Firefighter, if you save someone who sleeps in the **** from burning to death it's not ****** harassment because you were exposed to a ***** person. If a gay couple is in danger, it's not ****** harassment to expect you to do your job... save them. And if public events require the presence of Firefighters and it is part of their employment to work public events... it's not ****** harassment to make available human resources perform the duties of their job - IMHO.
Hank or someone more knowledgeable can speak about the law, but I figure it comes with the job. It's the polices job to address inappropriate public behavior and exposure (they too get exposed to the same antics) which can happy at ANY event, not just "gay" events.
This is a good example of the double standard that a lot of politically-correct liberals have. I wish these firefighters luck. Personally, I don't give a sh*t if the gays want to have a parade, but if I were ordered to take part in one, I'd be pissed as hell.
Double standard in what way? Do gay Firefighters not work events comprised of primarily straight participants whether they want to or not? Do African-American public servants not work events for organizations that blatantly discriminate against them because it's their job? Do you assume all gay people condone illegal activies at public events?
The article doesn't clearly state; did they take part in parade as in stand on a truck and expose themselvs or did they work there and help set up things etc.
Because that would have been totally gay. Seriously, it's part of the job. A police officer can't go home if he has a homless hobo wank off infront of his nose.
I'm going to have to side with the fire fighters, but theres more that needs to be known about the incident. Mainly captain John Ghiotto said "Me and my crew were given a direct order to be in that parade." So I'm guessing they were made to march in it. Therefore it would be hypocritical of you and our great nation to force them to march in a parade they don't agree in. Otherwise if they were forced to work it, i.e. provide safe supervision, it would be another story.
Another line of the article, "receiving parade orders for the first time". So by the wording I'm guessing his crew was ordered to march. They have every right to not want to march in a parade they don't support. Its wrong to make them march if they don't want too.
We're here, we're queer, we're on fire, get used to it.
If part of my job is taking turns with other employees holding a banner for the sake of public relations at a function the company supports as part of their diversity initiative, it's not ****** harrassment IMO nor a violation of my freedom of speech to expect me to take turns just like every other employee in the company. The banner is THEIR message (the organization), not mine personally. Contrary to that, ask me to say "I approve of... I agree with..." and I actually don't that's another matter. I doubt very much they were asked to do anything of the kind. They were human resources representing their employer and getting paid to do it. I still don't agree with them.
A racist could make similar claims about working a corporate public event supporting racial diversity. They'd be just as wrong.
Get a new job if you can't support the initiatives of your organization.
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