Firefighters to Sue San Diego for Forcing Them to March in a Gay Parade

  Four San Diego firefighters were ordered to participate in a gay pride parade against their will. They are claiming they were sexually harassed along the parade route by gay parade goers.

According to the complaint filed with the city, the firemen of Engine 5 told their chief they did not want to appear in the parade but were told the morning of the parade that they were under orders to participate.

The firefighters, described by the law center as “devoted husbands and fathers,” claim to have been subjected to sexually suggestive comments from parade observers, including “show me your hose,” “you can put out my fire,” and “give me mouth-to-mouth.”

  Sexual harassment is sexual harassment in my book. These were unwanted sexual advances or comments, and that  is sexual harassment. Unfortunately these firefighters are going after one of the protected groups. They will be portrayed as bigots and homo-phobes, and the whole fact that they were harassed will be secondary. If not lost all together.

  What would have happened had the parade goers been straight men, making these same type of comments to women? I think we know the answer to that. This really is no different than that. If these gay men are allowed to sexually harass these firefighters without punishment than they do not have equal rights, they have more rights.

  The firefighters had to take it from both sides(pardon the image that statement may have invoked) as religious groups protesting the parade thought that the firefighters supported gay rights.

the firemen say they were subjected to criticism from religious demonstrators protesting the parade. “Not only was I being subjected to these comments [from homosexuals] but I had to be told by protestors that homosexuality is sin, I’m going to hell, and I will be judged by God,” Engineer Jason Hewitt said.

  This should be an interesting case to follow. If they gays want the same rights as straight people, than they have to be willing to suffer the same punishment for the same crime. If they hide behind bigotry and homo-phobism (how’s that for a word) than it will be proof that they want more than equal rights. They will show us they want the immunities and protections that privileged protected groups receive that are unavailable to other groups.

UPDATE: The chief firefighter is a lesbian. That is why she forced the firefighters into the parade.

Read the whole story here.