Posted on 08/07/2007 4:17:23 AM PDT by monomaniac
BREAKING NEWS Four San Diego firefighters charge their superiors forced them to ride in San Diego's Gay Pride parade.
“You could not even look at the crowd without getting some kind of sexual gesture. If any crew member were to hang up pictures at the station of what we saw, we would be disciplined.” So said one of four San Diego firefighters who say their superiors forced them, in full uniform and on their city fire truck, to attend the July 21 San Diego “Gay Pride” parade, according to an Aug. 6 press release from the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center.
The Center is representing the firefighters in their legal claims against the city of San Diego.
According to the Center’s press release, the four firefighters’ superiors told them on July 20 that they would have to ride in the parade. In the past, firefighters who attended the parade “generally did so on a volunteer basis,” said the press release. When the four firefighters protested, their superiors told them they must ride in the parade or face disciplinary action.
San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman has said the parade is a “fun event and all employees are encouraged to participate.” San Diego’s Republican mayor, Jerry Sanders, appointed Jarman fire chief in June 2006. According to 365Gay.com, Jarman “lives with her domestic partner” and is “one of only a handful of openly lesbian fire chiefs in the country.”
“What happened to these dedicated public servants was inexcusable,” said Charles LiMandri, the Center’s West Coast director, who is representing the firefighters. “The City should have known from past experience the kind of offensive activities that go on at this event. This was a clear case of sexual harassment in violation of state and federal law as well as the City’s own code of conduct.”
While on parade, the firefighters “were subjected to vile sexual taunts from homosexuals lining the parade route,” said the press release. “Show me your hose,” “you can put out my fire,” “you’re making me hot,” “give me mouth-to-mouth,”“blow my hose,” were some of the comments those along the parade route hurled at the firefighters. When the firefighters did not respond, “some in the crowd turned hostile and started shouting, ‘F—k you firemen’ and others began ‘flipping them off,’” said the press release.
Some bystanders committed lewd acts, directed at the firefighters, such as exposing their genitals, grabbing the crotch, and blowing kisses. The firefighters, however, were not physically assaulted.
Last year, Chief Jarman told Gay and Lesbian Times that she has always kept her personal and private lives separate. She said she told Sanders she wanted to make the department more diverse – but, she said, “it’s not just the Gay community. I think we need to do a better job of recruiting across the board so that we reflect the community.”
Hubby is a retired firefighter, 33 yrs.
I would have told him to endure it and go.
Then we would have lived very comfortably the rest of our lives off the lawsuits we would have filed, and won.
That would fall under the Bill Clinton liberal dispensation clause.
This entire thread reeks of dookie.
Gay pride events should generally be rated ‘X’. I’ve never understood why so many in the gay community delight in shocking and disgusting straight people while demanding acceptance.
ROFL that ought to fix the problems in the FIRE department.
Why would you expect people who've choosen a perverted life style to not delight in being shocking disgusting perverts?
OR they were being “forced” to participate in the homosexual parade as a way of coercing them to quit.
IOW the lesbian fire chief was trying to force out the normal men by making it as uncomforatable as possible to be employed in her command.
There are LONG case law histories with rulings against empoloyer’s requiring employees to “volunteer” involuntarily.
I wonder how many EXTRA diversity programs this chief forced on people to add to the discomfort and abuse her position to get qualified people to resign so she could bring in her own preferences.
Me too,wait till I tell my son’s.They are both Fire Fighter’s.
shocking the public is part of the sexual gratification. Homosexuality must have an exhibition component. “look at me” behavior because of a learned gratification reinforcing a freakish behavior.
I agree (except I believe it was the Fire Chief that did the forcing, so she should be fired.)
Doling out a bunch of cash will do little to nothing.
Sadly, the doling out of money is generally what spurs change in policy and firing of morons.
So will the Lesbian fire chief be terminated for blatant, obvious sexual harassment? Any heterosexual male fire chief who subjected a female subordinate to the same circumstances would be fired so fast it would break the sound barrier.
that is funny, i laughed at your response. of course i meant the fire chief.
Anyone besides me think there’s a connection between these firefighters being pissed and the vandalism of the surfer statue that is kinda, how shall I say, Gay looking?
see here: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/index.html
“Persons performing lewd acts during the parade should’ve been taking into custody.”
You’ve never worked crowd control at one of these things, have you?
No career officer in their RIGHT MIND would do such a thing. It would be a career limiting act.
Worse, you might have a riot on your hands if you did try something like that.
I think what Im gettin’ at is that there is this expectation for men to suffer in silence, sort of like, “Oh Get over it, Big deal, some homo’s made catcalls at you, Men have been doing that to women for years, get over yourself.” Same with the statue, like, get over it, so you’re a surfer and macho and manly, so what if the statue looks a little gay, get over it.
I think this is te attitude I am sensing from some folks on this.
According to the Center’s press release, the four firefighters’ superiors told them on July 20 that they would have to ride in the parade. In the past, firefighters who attended the parade “generally did so on a volunteer basis,” said the press release. When the four firefighters protested, their superiors told them they must ride in the parade or face disciplinary action.
I would have refused and then filed a sexual harrassment lawsuit naming the ‘superiors’ and the city as defendents.
No way you could force me to attend, let alone participate, in a gay parade. No way at all.
doesn’t apply to libraians who have to see men viewing porn all day.
Check out ACLJ.org, Jay Secula’s group are doing an incredible (privately funded) job battling our tax dollar funded arm (ACLU) oh ya! that’s an even playing field, NOT!
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