[GreenHornet]

“The respondents’ appearance in the parade, solely as members of the Providence Fire Department, did not constitute a form of expression on their part. Rather, it was simply the accomplishing of a task assigned to an engine company of the Providence Fire Department,” Robinson wrote.

I thought the purpose of a fire department was to respond to fires and other emergency situations - not to march in parades. Is there some type of charter or other official document that specifically identifies the scope and mission of the fire department? Can the fire fighter's union fight this on those grounds?

[HomerBohn]

Another excellent point!

A fire chief who apparently has a thing for accommodating homosexuals and orders his firefighters to march in ‘their’ parade should be summarily dismissed.