Christians compelled to participate in US, UK gay parades

Wow.

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Heterosexual ambulance staffers sought for 'gay' parade
Despite clampdown on expenses, offered overtime to participate

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Posted: June 19, 2009
8:42 pm Eastern

© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Staff members from a British ambulance service are being offered extra pay if they take part in a homosexual parade, following the low attendance at the event a year ago when participation was voluntary, according to a report in the London Daily Mail.

The costs, including overtime, refreshments for the staffers and transportation to and from the Brighton, England, resort where the parade is scheduled, will be paid by United Kingdom taxpayers, the report said.

The newspaper said a paramedic said the South East Coast Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust would be paying its workers 40 British pounds each – about $65 – to take part in the Brighton homosexual parade.

That's the equivalent of two hours overtime pay, even though the newspaper reported paramedics confirmed there had been a halt order issued for overtime payments.

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"People from the trust went last year but they all attended as all volunteers," the paper quoted one paramedic saying, "I heard that the turnout wasn't very high and they wanted to get more people there."

A member of parliament, Ann Widdecombe, called the situation "unacceptable."

"The fact that the ambulance service is having to bribe paramedics to go is even worse. It would be much better to let them take a day off so they can get refreshed before they have to start their vital work saving lives," she said.

A Taxpayer Alliance official told the newspaper if staff members want to march, they can, "but there's no way we should pay for them to go on this march."

According to the report, a spokesman for the ambulance service said such community events are good ways to engage the public.

WND previously reported on a case in the United States in which firefighters were ordered to appear in a homosexual "Pride Parade," and later were awarded $5,000 each for emotional damages from the event.

In that case, Charles LiMandri, the West Coast regional director for the Thomas More Law Center, said, "Government employees should never be forced to participate in events or acts that violate their sincerely held beliefs."

"We are pleased with the jury's verdict recognizing the firefighters' right to abstain from activities that they consider morally offensive and that subject them to harassment," LiMandri said.

LiMandri said the main goal was that firefighters, all Christians, no longer will be subjected to such treatment.

The firefighters had been ordered to participate in the July 21, 2007, promotion of homosexuality and explicit sex.

WND reported earlier when attorney LiMandri made clear the liability held by the city of San Diego.

"These men were sexually harassed in clear violation of San Diego's sexual harassment code," LiMandri said. "Further, the California Constitution's freedom of speech provision prohibits compelled speech. What the firefighters were ordered to do was endorse what goes on at this parade through their participation in it."