Firemen sue city

@estherlou (5015)
United States
August 7, 2007 11:23am CST
4 San Diego firemen were forced to participate in a gay parade and were verbally abused and attacked by parade watchers. They are now suing the city for forcing them to participate. http://www.arcamax.com/religiousnews/s-221574-873897
9 people like this
14 responses
@Eskimo (2315)
7 Aug 07
Something similar happened in Glasgow recently, with the firemen involved refusing to take part and being disciplined, the station officer (a previous fire hero) was demoted and all the firemen were ordered to take diversity courses. see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/5216244.stm for part of this story.
3 people like this
• United States
7 Aug 07
..yes I guess it's called enforced political 'correctness' where's there's only one acceptable way of thinking.. Personally, I'll always 'believe' homosexuality is a mutation and is not as good as the original design.. I believe healing is available but no one is 'allowed' to say that! (You are called a gay hater.) And what is constantly hammered upon, is unless you fully accept homosexuality as just another ethnic group, totally acceptable, and young folks should freely experiment, you are pronounced quite firmly as a hater of homosexual people. I personally have been, and am quite fond of the gay people I happen to know, very, fond of them actually (and most don't go in for 'gay pride' parades). But I still do not have the accepted politically 'correct' view, which view I believe is "wrong". Yet I love and accept gay folks and treat them as I do all people.. I also think it is not correct to steal, lie, cheat, or be a skirt chaser, but I don't HaTe them either! But I'll be danged if I'll make myself think their behavior is just as good as a faithful husband and father for example (or mother, if it's a woman).
1 person likes this
@Eskimo (2315)
7 Aug 07
These fireman in Glasgow don't stop to ask the people they are rescuing if they are gay or straight, they just go ahead and save their lives - that is their job, not to appear at gay pride parades.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
7 Aug 07
I hope that the firemen get a million dollars and a public apology on the front page and on television. To be forced to participate in something that is against your beliefs is wrong. What was the city thinking of? Is that what they call tolerance? At least, now people know now what stripes the homosexuals are made of. They are more intolerant than us.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
10 Aug 07
So according to you, these firemen should not sue, and it is okay for homosexuals to be intolerant and not for straight people? You should be ashamed of yourself.
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
7 Aug 07
Such are the dangers of being a public servant...you are subject to the winds of political correctness and the decisions of local government and your supervisors. Their constitutional rights were violated by forcing them to take part in this parade. I hope these firemen win a suit large enough that the city will be bankrupt. This is a fine example of political correctness at it's extreme, and is also a sign of things to come. This is just one example of how the gay lifestyle CHOICE is being forced upon the rest of America. It is too bad that the firemen did not retaliate and show these perverts what the term "flaming homosexual" REALLY means.
2 people like this
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
7 Aug 07
I believe that it's not only downright abusive on the part of the city to force participation in something that is so much against your own personal beliefs and lifestyle, but it should be illegal. I hope the firefighters win their suit against the city. I think charges should also be filed against the abusive parade goers. They should have a leash on this sort of behavior.
• United States
9 Aug 07
Wow how terrible to make these men go through this. I would not want to go through something like this. To have to ride on a fire truck in a gay pride parade, and have to be teased by coworkers. I bet the teasing did not quit when the parade ended.
• United States
7 Aug 07
How do you get "forced" to participate in a parade, exactly?
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
7 Aug 07
They threaten to fire them from their jobs, threaten to not pay them, fine them, etc. and possibly not allow them to get another job in the city, as well as inform other cities of their 'intolerant behavior' if they do not participate. Your nickname is very appropriate, by the way.
3 people like this
• United States
7 Aug 07
Why is my nickname appropriate? *is confused* Either way, why didn't these fireman go do something about it? Nobody said they had to sit and obey. There's laws in place about stuff like this. Instead of doing something they *should* have known was against the law, they should have contacted the police and if they didn't agree, then go even higher up on the legal ladder.
3 people like this
• United States
7 Aug 07
forsakemysoul...You obviously have never worked as a public servant. I have...and there are many ways in order to force a public employee to do things that they neither support or agree with. This incident is unforgivable and demeaning, and I sincerely hope that those firefighters take that worthless city for every penny.
3 people like this
@oriental (1050)
• Uruguay
8 Aug 07
I think that to work in such a kind of parade, where your participation may be taken as voluntary and being part of the parade, should have been voluntary and not mandatory. Perhaps there were gay firemen that should have liked to be there.
1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
8 Aug 07
That is not right!! They should sue the pants off them. It was very wrong.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Aug 07
I can't blame them for suing, they shouldn't have been forced to participate.
• United States
7 Aug 07
What bothers me the most is that they were verbally abused and attacked by other people as well as their co-workers from what I've heard. That needs to stop. But, I'm equally upset that they felt, or actually were, coerced into participating. I'm a public servant, too, and I know how they can pressure you into things.
@GardenGerty (157027)
• United States
8 Aug 07
I find it outrageous that they were forced to participate in this parade. I do not know what the city could have been thinking. Of course, if the city had gay firemen, they should have been free to participate, but to force someone against their will is to me a very big violation of their rights.
@youdontsay (3497)
• United States
7 Aug 07
Poor babies. Why is everyone so ready to sue about any little bump in their life's road? These were adult males, right? The same kind of guys that pull sick days if they don't want to do something? Come on. And so they were verbally abused by a crowd. I'll bet every one of those gay or lesbian or transgendered people have been verbally abused for years. Some of them have been violently attacked, beaten for being who they are. I'm sorry. Maybe it is just the months of ongoing pain making me cranky. But I don't feel sorry for those guys. The police officers are always getting verbally abused in many neighborhoods in our country. Should they sue the city for getting hollered at on the job? No wonder our courts are grinding to a halt from over use.
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
8 Aug 07
This is unbelieveable!! You can bet that if the gays were forced to join a parade and harrassed by straight men it would be posted everywhere. What I can't believe is that they were forced by the fire department to do this. And why is it that this type of lifestyle is entitled to parades anyways?? Its like they are celebrating being perverted and yes, I believe homosexuals and lesbians are perverted. But God help me for saying it, b/c now they will condemn me for not being more tolerable. In todays world, morals and the Bible seem to be replaced with the phrase "If it feels good, do it!" I don't care how much they scream, I refuse to follow the sheeple. I think the Fire Chief should be fired and I hope those firefighters sue the daylights out of them!! LIVE IN PEACE
1 person likes this
@mummymo (23706)
7 Aug 07
Well I know here that firemen have public duties to perform as well as their main firefighting and other duties! I don't see any problem with them participating in the parade but the alleged abuse is unacceptable and the people responsible should be prosecuted! xxx