Ashcroft bars gay pride event at Justice Dept.

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | June 7, 2003 | Zachary Coile

[fightinJAG]

Washington -- Attorney General John Ashcroft ignited a new controversy over his agency's treatment of gays and lesbians Friday after he refused to allow Justice Department employees to hold an annual event celebrating "gay pride month" at the agency's headquarters.

[gdc61]

99.9% probably. the supposedly "log cabin" cons are just plants to try to confuse the repubs to think "gee maybe gays CAN be conservative". just like all the "bush haters" (i don't mean gay men) on this forum. they are disrupters. i suppose there are a few who still live in the 90's and think the republican party is dead. the "woe is me" crowd and the "we are doomed" party.

[mass55th]

Ashcroft has been Attorney General for over two years. What happened the last two years on this thing? I can't believe these people just now decided to complain about this. A little slow aren't they? Thank God President Bush isn't into appeasing everyone just for votes.

[Gritty]

"It sends a very chilling message to gay and lesbian employees that says, 'You are not welcome.' "

I certainly hope so!

Let's see. This little ceremony would take probably two hours out of the workday for 200 employees. Therefore, it would cost the beleagered taxpayers:

200people x 2 hours x $50/hr avg = $20,000

... in lost productivity, assuming these people are productive and don't merely spend their time figuring new ways to inflict America with their perverse pathologies.

Ashcroft made the correct decision!

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"They want June as "Gay Pride Month"."

I work in very liberal California. The Gays own Christmas where I work with an event that has carols sung by "Gay-Men’s Chorus" in the main lobby. We have "diversity events" and a Lambda club. I applaud Ashcroft because if the trend continues here we will soon have affirmative action based on homosexual preference and need to prove that the company is hiring its share of Gays!

[maxwell]

"It's shocking that the agency in charge of protecting the civil rights of all Americans is singling out one group of people for unequal treatment,"

Yep, they do. The Human Rights Campaign needs to think about more Americans than just queers. Nonqueers have rights too.

[Salman]

Do a google on "pride". Not "gay pride", just "pride".

A high proportion of the hits will be "gay".

[HennepinPrisoner]

Employee association groups are a waste of time and money. If gay employees, at the DOJ, wish to celebrate gay pride, let them do it on their own free time. The DOJ is a place to work, not to party.

I agree, but to be consistent, Ashcroft has to refuse the black employee associations from celebrating.

And he won't.

[ArGee]

Marina Colby, president of DOJ Pride and a policy analyst at the department, said the decision singles out gay and lesbian employees because African American, Hispanic, Asian American and Native American employee associations will still be allowed to hold their annual pride events.

"We want to be treated the same as other employee associations -- not special treatment, equal treatment," Colby said, who added that the event costs few, if any taxpayer dollars because the group pays for the food and entertainment.

While one is born African American, Hispanic, Asian American, and Native American one is not born gay. The analogy fails.

If the DOJ Chess Club Members are permitted to hold a Chess Pride Event at the DOJ then you wuld have a case.

Get help, Marina.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

It is amazing that the RATS think the most important thing in the world is the DOJ hosting a gay pride event.

When you consider the last leader the RATS elected, I suspect sex is the most important thing in their world.

If they could think with their heads, they wouldn't be losing to W. all the time.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

The only problem is the content constipated employees are demanding that they be acknowledged in September.

Just warn me when it is "Incontinent Employee Month" so I can remember to stay home.

Shalom.

[CyberAnt]

These are the same people who would had a hissy fit because Ashcroft and some of his staff met for a Bible study. They were claiming the old "church and state" junk - and now they want to have the DOJ AUTHORIZE a GAY PRIDE event - but if it were a CHRISTIAN event - they same hissy fit would apply.

[ArGee]

Sorry, just don't see the "pride" in aberrant and deviant behavior.

Actually, the only people I ever saw making their heterosexual behavior a "pride" issue were teens (who usually weren't really getting any). Maybe the problem is that gays just never grew up.

Shalom.

[Allegra]

I applaud Ashcroft because if the trend continues here we will soon have affirmative action based on homosexual preference and need to prove that the company is hiring its share of Gays!

It's already happening. Halliburton in Houston has a homosexual male as a department manager and he blatantly only hires single, attractive men in his department, reagrdless of experience and qualifications. He even asks them in the interview about their martial status and age, etc. and divulges information about himself living with his "partner."

I know this based on personal experience.

[ArGee]

I applaud Ashcroft because if the trend continues here we will soon have affirmative action based on homosexual preference and need to prove that the company is hiring its share of Gays!

If they did that, I would just list my sexual orientation as gay. If anyone brought up that I was married with three children I would slap him with a "violation of privacy" suit so fast it would make his head swim. I would insist that my claim that I am gay be taken at face value because only I can know if I am or am not.

If the rest of you did the same, that would end that game pretty quick. Can you imagine the howl at having to "prove" you were gay to get the perks? It's not like there's a blood or urine test for homoerotic attraction.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

I agree, but to be consistent, Ashcroft has to refuse the black employee associations from celebrating.

No, to be consistent, Ashcroft has to refuse the chess playing employee association from celebrating. Try not to confuse attributes with behaviors.

Shalom.

[Dane]

Good for Ashcroft.

I get sick of people(socialist/liberals) who use their sexual proclivities to publicly define themselves and try to shove it down the public's throat.

[Dane]

It's already happening. Halliburton in Houston has a homosexual male as a department manager and he blatantly only hires single, attractive men in his department, reagrdless of experience and qualifications. He even asks them in the interview about their martial status and age, etc. and divulges information about himself living with his "partner."

I know this based on personal experience.

That's Halliburton's internal business, and IMO, if there are enough complaints about this Department manager's hiring practices(sexual proclivities), that Department manager will not be there for long.

My suggestion would be for you to notify the Halliburton Human resources dept. and if you have the proof show them.

[Allegra]

if there are enough complaints about this Department manager's hiring practices(sexual proclivities), that Department manager will not be there for long.

My suggestion would be for you to notify the Halliburton Human resources dept. and if you have the proof show them.

Oh, the appropriate people have been notified about this guy and his days are likely numbered.

The thing is, it appeared that he thought since HE was in a "special interest" group, he was perfectly within his rights to discriminate. He got too bold about it and has probably blown it.

[BenR2]

I can't believe Ashcroft.

Next thing you know and he will be telling the DOJ Masturbating Society members they can't have an event in DOJ headquarters either!

[Ohioan]

Anyone who is too stupid to understand the difference between taking pride in one's ancestry--the Fifth Commandment in the Christian & Judaic worlds--and taking pride in a disability/perversion or whatever--should not be on a taxpayer supported payroll. Any political party that would take up--as an issue--the idea that there should be a celebration of perversion, should not expect a very bright future.

All of that said, why is this issue just surfacing in 2003? What happened in 2001 & 2002? I am glad to know that Ashcroft has now stopped this mockery of traditional values. But did he allow it to go on the previous two years?

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