Catholic Loses Job Over Views on Gay Marriage

The Baltimore Sun ^ | June 16, 2006 | Jennifer Skalka

[khnyny]

Ehrlich appointee fired over remark Transit official equates gay lifestyle with deviancy By Jennifer Skalka Sun reporter Originally published June 16, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. fired one of his appointees to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority yesterday after the board member asserted on a local cable talk show that homosexuals lived a life of "sexual deviancy."

The termination came a few hours after Metro board member Robert J. Smith, an architect and unsuccessful Republican candidate for the General Assembly from Montgomery County, was publicly confronted by a transit board colleague. Board member Jim Graham, a District of Columbia councilman who is openly gay, called on Smith to disavow his remarks or resign during yesterday's regular meeting of the panel, which oversees Metro business.

Graham said he was gratified that Ehrlich decided to replace Smith. Earlier in the day, Smith said that he stood by his beliefs, which he said stemmed from his Roman Catholic faith, and insisted that he would not resign unless ordered by the governor.

[khnyny]

The article in the Baltimore Sun is very biased, but it gives the general "facts". What the article doesn't really explain, is that Mr. Smith was a regular panelist on the show and that the comments in question occurred when the discussion turned to "gay marriage". Mr. Smith, as a Roman Catholic, opposes "gay marriage" and expressed his views on the show. Apparently, discrimination is OK as long as it targets Catholics, Christians, Muslims or religious Jews who oppose "gay marriage". Whatever happened to the 1st Ammendment?

[Skooz]

Free speech for me but....oh, you know the rest.

[A Troop 1-14 Cav]

(Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. fired one of his appointees to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority yesterday after the board member asserted on a local cable talk show that homosexuals lived a life of "sexual deviancy.")


Fired for speaking the truth? Then again what's a Transit Beaurocrat doing giving this opinion on the radio?

[Dr. Thorne]

"...the board member asserted on a local cable talk show that homosexuals lived a life of 'sexual deviancy.'"

...and was absolutely correct.

[A Troop 1-14 Cav]

(What the article doesn't really explain, is that Mr. Smith was a regular panelist on the show)



I wish it had, it would have made more sense.

[sageb1]

That's right. Deviance simply means turning away from what is considered the norm.

[bordergal]

Potential lawsuit?

[icwhatudo]

Marylanders hate hearing it, but the reason Erhlich left congress was because he was on the more liberal side of the republican party. His views would not allow him to elevate in Republican leadership but were "moderate" enough for a run at the statehouse in the peoples republic of Maryland.

Sure he gets attacked by the Sun and Maryland media as a conservative-but then so would Olympia Snow in this area where usually the choice is between regular democrats and extreme liberal ones.

[NYer]

"Homosexual unions are totally lacking in the biological and anthropological elements of marriage and family which would be the basis, on the level of reason, for granting them legal recognition. Such unions are not able to contribute in a proper way to the procreation and survival of the human race. The possibility of using recently discovered methods of artificial reproduction, beyond involving a grave lack of respect for human dignity,(15) does nothing to alter this inadequacy."
CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING PROPOSALS TO GIVE LEGAL RECOGNITION TO UNIONS BETWEEN HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Argus]

If he was speaking in his official capacity, the governor has the authority to fire him. If he was speaking as a private citizen, I think the guy has a lawsuit because he was fired for exercising his constitutional right on his own time.

At any rate, it's getting pretty obvious that homosexuality, once forbidden, is now well on its way to being compulsory.

[BritExPatInFla]

Does he appear as a representative of the Transit Department or just as a Republican op-ed person?

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Apparently, discrimination is OK as long as it targets Catholics, Christians, Muslims or religious Jews who oppose "gay marriage". Whatever happened to the 1st Ammendment?"

Under the tutelage of Aldus Huxley, liberals have adopted their own de facto revision.

[Non-Sequitur]

Potential lawsuit?

Probably not. He was a political appointee and served at the pleasure of the governor.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Diversity is REQUIRED in the government, as long as ALL of the diverse people hired think the same way?


Sounds like this guy has a lawsuit coming.

[stephenjohnbanker]

The first amendment was stoled by left wingers. We need to steal it back.

[Mr. Brightside]

Title should be: Catholic Fired for Having Christian Point of View

[bigLusr]

Nah. He was appointed by the Governor and serves at the Governor's pleasure. If an elected official was fired by the Governor we'd have a first amendment issue.

This is just a reason to not vote for this Governor next time around... no legal standing for a lawsuit.

[khnyny]

[Fired for speaking the truth? Then again what's a Transit Beaurocrat doing giving this opinion on the radio?]

Free speech? How about religious freedom?

Graham said on the radio when interviewed "every gay person I know is offended". Okay, so they are offended. Lot's of people get "offended" every day. Look at all the vitriolic hatred expressed against Catholics and Christians every day. Look at the statements Ward Churchill made, but the ACLU came to his defense, saying he had a right to free speech.

Free speech is only free if it follows a certain left-leaning philosophy?

[Non-Sequitur]

Apparently, discrimination is OK as long as it targets Catholics, Christians, Muslims or religious Jews who oppose "gay marriage". Whatever happened to the 1st Ammendment?

And how many threads has FR had about people being booted from organizations for being gay, expelled from schools for having gay parents, or getting fired for being pregnant and unwed?

[Thunderchief F-105]

...good point...... now, let me see... how about if an openly gay man made similarly disparaging comments about the "deviancy" of heterosexual marriage and heterosexual relationships.... would there be this kerfuffle regarding HIS comments, or would it all be ignored.... yes, indeed; this country literally reeks with the stench of double standards....! and I'm getting damned sick and tired of the advocates of the gay agenda trying to shove their views down our throats...! oops; sorry; poor choice of words, there, probably.....