Court rules against Catholic firefighters ordered to drive in gay pride parade
January 02, 2015
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The Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled that the constitutional rights of two Catholic firefighters were not violated when they were ordered to drive a fire truck in a gay pride parade.
The firefighters stated that “their beliefs as Catholics do not allow them to “support, encourage, nor condone homosexual behavior.”
The court, in its ruling, did not support “the proposition that, in such specific circumstances, employees’ rights are violated if they happen to possess religious objections to the beliefs of the group with which an otherwise legitimate work assignment requires brief interaction.”
“The respondents’ appearance in the parade, solely as members of the Providence Fire Department, did not constitute a form of expression on their part,” the court added. “Rather, it was simply the accomplishing of a task assigned to an engine company of the Providence Fire Department, and the individuals chosen to carry out that assignment cannot be said to have engaged in personal speech by carrying out their work as public servants.”
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Further information:
- Firefighters Don't Have Case After Pride Parade (Courthouse News Service)
- Rhode Island Supreme Court Rejects Firefighters' Objections To Riding In Pride Parade (Religion Clause blog)
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Posted by: JimKcda -
Jan. 06, 2015 11:14 AM ET USA
momtomany128421- FF, police. etc are often required by their employer to perform many non-emergency duties. Perhaps the mayor decided to enter the fire truck into the parade. The lowly FF has no input into that decision and if s/he wishes to keep their job, they will do as ordered. Best suggestion, from FredC, "Call in sick." (or would that be a sin of dishonesty?) (BTW, I spent 25 yrs in the Fire Service and did many non-emerg things I did not like doing due to the "politics" of my supervisors.
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Posted by: R. Spanier (Catholic Canadian) -
Jan. 05, 2015 1:03 AM ET USA
"The kind of secularism with which the Church cannot live and with which the Church must contend is a secularism which demands that the public square - those parts of society and culture and politics where we live our common life - be scoured of religious conviction and religiously conformed moral conviction. That kind of aggressive secularism which refuses to take seriously the possibility of transcendent truth and love is a form of dictatorship and it has to be resisted." George Weigel
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Posted by: FredC -
Jan. 04, 2015 4:34 PM ET USA
I would have called in "sick".
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Posted by: momtomany128421 -
Jan. 03, 2015 10:37 AM ET USA
With all due respect, GymK, driving a fire truck in a parade to support gays is not in the line of duty for firefighters. I agree that refusing aid to someone in a fire or accident because of their orientation, race or religion would be very wrong; however, participating in that parade for LGBT rights has nothing to do with emergency work.
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Posted by: Chestertonian -
Jan. 02, 2015 11:18 PM ET USA
What nonsense! What other reason was there, for the firetruck to be in the Pride parade other than to show support for LGBT rights?! This court is confused as to what 'religious freedom' means. It is not merely freedom to believe but also freedom of PRACTICE, and any faith must refrain from participation in that which the faith teaches is an intrinsic evil. Just as in criminal law, if you participate in any way in a crime, you are complicit and an accessory to it. I hope they will appeal.
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Posted by: geoffreysmith1 -
Jan. 02, 2015 7:13 PM ET USA
Just ignore the court ruling, guys. There is nothing that they can do about it if you refuse to drive your truck in that public display of sin. Get the union behind you and the court can go and whistle. Your conscience will always be the decisive factor.
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Posted by: JimKcda -
Jan. 02, 2015 7:07 PM ET USA
Would the firefighters give first aid to a gay person during an emergency response? Would they put out a fire in a gay bar? Would they respond to an emergency call at an abortion clinic? I would say, if they are on duty, and their chief assigned them to the parade, they are required to drive the truck. Heaven help us if the police, fire, teacher or other public employee gets to chose who he or she will serve based on their own personal beliefs. "9-1-1, please send a Catholic firefighter...etc"
