2007 Gay Picture Pride
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Archbishop supports firemen over gay snub
The Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow has defended nine firefighters who were disciplined for refusing to distribute leaflets during a gay rights march.Strathclyde fire service announced yesterday that the firefighters had been sent on "diversity training" courses after refusing to hand out "community fire safety advice" at the Pride Scotia festival in June.Some of the firefighters from the Cowcaddens fire station, in Glasgow, had claimed that it would be "embarrassing" for them to attend the gay pride event in uniform, while others argued that the event offended their moral beliefs.But Strathclyde fire service said their refusal to distribute fire safety leaflets at the event constituted a "fundamental breach of their core responsibilities" and said that it had demoted one firefighter and issued written warnings to the others involved in the dispute as a result.Defending the firefighters today, Archbishop Mario Conti said there was "no question" that the officers' competency or commitment had been queried and stressed they had "legitimate concerns" about being the subject of taunts, while others would have found the event offensive to their religious beliefs."They were asked, while in uniform, to hand out leaflets during a demonstration where they had legitimate concerns about being the subject of taunts and jokes, and in which in some cases, their religious sensibilities would have been grossly offended by people dressed as priests and nuns lampooning the church," said Archbishop Conti."The duty to obey one's conscience is a higher duty than that of obeying orders," he added.Strathclyde fire service said yesterday that it had a responsibility to protect each of the 2.3 million people it serves, "irrespective of race, religion or sexuality"."Firefighters cannot, and will not, pick and choose to whom they offer fire safety advice," the service said.
GENDER IS OVER-RATED
At a recent family affair, my philistine cousin was complaining about the gay sex shops in the West Village. He recently moved to New York and finds the openly gay culture "offensive" and "abrasive." Feeling the need to defend the gay community (and being bisexual myself), I said, "Intolerance is rooted in fear. Maybe you’re afraid that one day you’ll be attracted to a guy." His response: "If the guy had breasts and didn’t have a penis and looked like a woman, then maybe I would." He could have been describing a transsexual. "You see how gender is irrelevant?" I said. Ignoring my point, he reiterated his heterosexual pride: "I just want everyone to be like me. Fuck you." Of course I wanted to slap him, but I found enlightenment in his insulting comments. My cousin is an extreme example of the human tendency to perceive gender as a fixed state of being, attached to expected qualities and behaviors.
Cleric wades into gay pride row
The Catholic Archbishop of Glagow has controversially defended the nine firemen who have been disciplined for refusing to distribute fire safety leaflets at a gay pride event. One officer was demoted, eight others were given warnings, and all were required to attend diversity training after they disobeyed orders to attend the Pride Scotia event in Glasgow. But Mario Conti, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow, issued a statement today saying that the disciplinary action was 'dismaying'. Archbishop Conti said that 'the duty to obey one's conscience is a higher duty than that of obeying orders.' While some of the firemen had said that they were refusing to give fire prevention advice at the event in June because they had religious objections, other refused to do so simply because they said it would be embarrassing.
Rich Scot fights against gay ‘sin’
A Christian millionaire is taking on a Scottish fire department for disciplining firemen for refusing to hand out information at a gay Pride parade.
George Hargreaves, made his fortune with a string of 1980s hit songs, including Yazz and Five Star, and used his royalties to launch the Scottish Christian party, which preaches that homosexuality is a sin.
Hargreaves is threatening to take the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue service to court, after they were disciplined for refusing to distribute safety leaflets at a Pride parade. One officer was demoted and took a 5,000 pay cut. Hargreaves claims the men were forced to undergo diversity training as part of their punishment, and says their human rights have been breached.
Who sets the bounds of acceptable diversity? Should it be employers, the state, the individual or the highly organised minority whose practices deviate so much from the mainstream that acceptance of their diversity needs to be forced by edict on the majority? he said.
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