LGBT Federal Workers Lose Job Protections

[Not Me]

Very sad move from one of *'s RW appointments


from: http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/03/031704fedWorkers.htm
March 17, 2004

(Washington, D.C.) Gay and lesbians in the entire federal workforce have had their job protections officially removed by the office of Special Counsel. The new Special Counsel, Scott Bloch, says his interpretation of a 1978 law intended to protect employees and job applicants from adverse personnel actions is that gay and lesbian workers are not covered.

Bloch said that the while a gay employee would have no recourse for being fired or demoted for being gay, that same worker could not be fired for attending a gay Pride event.

In his interpretation, Bloch is making a distinction between one’s conduct as a gay or lesbian and one’s status as a gay or lesbian.

“People confuse conduct and sexual orientation as the same thing, and I don’t think they are,” Bloch said in an interview with Federal Times, a publication for government employees.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[Bertha Venation]

1. Mrs. V. is a federal employee

and my blood just started boiling. Good thing I left my sphygmo. at home. I don't want to know what my BP is right now.

[kayell]

25. I hope everything will go ok for her

I know a lot of gays working for the feds, from when I lived near DC. All were completely out at their jobs. It was considered one of the big benefits of working for the govt., that they could be totally out, and feel completely protected. This must be very scary for you and Mrs. V.

Not to mention :nuke:

[bluestateguy]

2. I'm telling you, 90%

That's how many gays will vote for Kerry in November (it was 75% for Gore last time).

[NashVegas]

3. Okay ...

I'm starting to think that, in absence of the White House's expressed wish for Howard Dean as a November opponent, they're still going to do everything they can to work this wedge issue, and in the process, separate the Dean dems from the Kerry dems. (as indicated in the other story where they got on Kerry's ass to disavow Dean's comment about Spain.)

[Not Me]

5. "These are the biggest group of liars and crooks..."

Recall the State of the Union:

Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage. The outcome of this debate is important -- and so is the way we conduct it. The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each individual has dignity and value in God's sight."

And when he formally called for the Federal Discrimination Amendment he said:

Our government should respect every person, and protect the institution of marriage. There is no contradiction between these responsibilities. We should also conduct this difficult debate in a manner worthy of our country, without bitterness or anger.

BUSH IS THE BIGGEST LYING HYPOCRITE EVER TO HOLD OFFICE IN THIS COUNTRY.

[CO Liberal]

8. What He Really Meant

In the State of the Union message:

Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage. The outcome of this debate is important -- and so is the way we conduct it. The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each heterosexual fundamentalist Christian individual has dignity and value in God's sight. All gays and lesbians can go to Hell."

And when he formally called for the Federal Discrimination Amendment he said:

Our government should respect every heterosexual fundamentalist Christian person, and protect the institution of marriage. All gays get no respect at all. There is no contradiction between these responsibilities. We should also conduct this difficult debate in a manner worthy of our country, without bitterness or anger toward heterosexual fundamentalist Christians - gays and lesbians are fair game.

Of course, this doe not reflect my beliefs - I believe in full rights for everyone - including the right of marriage for our gay and lasbian brothers and sisters.

[Working Class Hero]

11. I couldn't agree more!

[newyawker99]

13. Hi Working Class Hero!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Bertha Venation]

19. good call

thanks for pulling those lines out.

I despise this hypocritical BS and *'s administration.

GO JOHN GO!

[BlueEyedSon]

4. This can't be constitutional, can it?

[Not Me]

6. That's the problem honey,

The courts have not to date decided a case with sexual orientation using the the equal protection (14th amendment)clause. The sodomy case last summer was decided as a privacy (1st amendment) concern.

Activist judges, such as Bloch, can interpret the code with a great degree of latitude.

[xxqqqzme]

7. Is this clown an

attorney? This is amazing - he is creating a sub-class of Americans - how can U not B covered by the civil rights laws if U R a citizen? What rocks do they have 2 turn over 2 find these rabid, racist RW that will SET policy? for FIVE years????

[atreides1]

10. This Is The Future....

...if BushCo is re-selected. And I don't think it will stop there, gays and lesbians are just the start.

What we here at DU and those that belong to sites like this one need to realize is that the Republicans don't believe in equal rights, nor do they beleive in religious freedom, unless it's Christian.

This statement may be offensive, and it may be the one that finally gets me banned, but the evidence is out there. From this decision that
gays and lesbians are not covered under the civil rights laws, to that county in Tennessee that wants to charge gays with crimes against nature, and are now seeking a way to ban gays from living in their area.

To a pResident who is so desperate to remain in power that he will use the Constitution to discriminate against one group of people.

I could be wrong about all Republican, just the majority of them.

[kayell]

23. The BFEE has found their Jews

Anyone want to predict the date for Kristallnacht?

[markus]

9. The distinction between orientation and conduct

is basically that which the Catholic Church users. It's not a sin to be gay, it's just a sin to do anything about it.

This is really just another splinter chipped out of the wall seperating church and state, by people who get their marching orders from a church.

I can't wait until my children complete their confirmation (in the Catholic Church) so I can come just say, "heh, Bishop, I've completed the committment I made to my *wife* (and not you f---ing a--holes), and I'd like to be officially excommunicated now."

Organized religion is just becoming too evil in this country.

[54anickel]

15. Ties in so nicely with that fundie line -

Hate the sin, love the sinner. :eyes:

I used to be a bit more tolerant on bending the separation of church and state rules for things that didn't seem to matter that much. I never imagined it could be bastardized to the extremes we have seen thus far.

Since Bushco, I am 100% for strict separation of church and state.

[Moderator]

12. orlandoFL

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
news source.

Thank you.


DU Moderator

[smirkymonkey]

14. What is happening in this country???

Nobody wants to see the parallels, but this is exactly what the progression was like leading up to the holocaust. The systematic dismantling of rights and non-stop hate propaganda.

Is anyone else just stupefied by what's going on in this country? I can't believe what I am seeing and hearing.

[Insider]

16. plain and simple

these are the people (bush) with direct, documented connection to that movement, people who still have the money in trusts.

[dusty64]

20. I can't either

and am for the first time considering an exit from this madness. Unfortunately except for the rich, just up and leaving ones country is not particularly easy, but I've about had it with the insanity.

[kayell]

24. I see the parallels, and it's seriously scary

Fascists have to have a group to ostracise and fear. Arab terrorist's aren't enough, there just aren't enough likely candidates locally, and this country is a bit more resistant to the racism card than it used to be. Definately not immune, that is clear, but the BFEE did not get as much rabid enthusiasm for attacking US brown people as it had hoped. Or at least there was enough resistance to stop that idea.

The new fascists need an internal enemy who can be almost universally reviled by the "good" Americans. They need a group that will not immediately call to mind the Nazi attack on the Jews, while allowing them to perform the same manipulation. Looks like the BFEE has picked out their jews. :scared:

[Barkley]

28. Yes, and the real scary part is ...

the American public like the Germans are for the most part going along with it.

This fundamenatlly not the same country as it was in 2000.
Some of it has to do with 9-11 but most of it is due to "leadership".

Tommy Franks said: 'I don't know if the Constitution will survive
another 9-11 attack'.

Unfortunately, he may be right.

[Rex]

17. So whose next?

This man is a moran! Conduct & sexual orientation...huh? WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH DISCRIMINATION? Christ on the Cross, it really gets me sometimes how INSANE these RW freaks are!

So if I conduct my self in a 'gay' way...who sets the rules on that BTW? Now if I like other men, then I lose all rights as in civil rights? WTF?

Where the hell is my Mothership when I need it!!!!

[JohnLocke]

18. ~$%**&!**@#*8$$@#$

:wtf:

[lcooksey]

21. I can't express my feelings on this

without a whole boatload of curse words. So I'll just settle for what a lying sack o' crap.

[tlcandie]

22. When will the rest of the world shut us off and lock us in our bedroom?

Like they did with Russia/Soviet Union until the wall came down? Honestly, I can't see anyone wanting anything to do with any of us or listening to anyone from here regarding anything!

It's all crap! They will feel badly for the people, but they had/have a choice to get up and leave and they didn't.

I'm sure they are all so happy that these laughing-stock off-shoots of the EU are all over here believing and spouting this totally ignorant BS!

[kitkatrose]

26. As I cannot adequately express my feelings

without a string of profanity, all I will say is that I'm very disappointed in my fellow human being and that we need to get these assholes out of here before they damage this country beyond our scope to fix it.

[snippy]

27. Bloch needs to be fired for lying under oath at his confirmation hearing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A62844-2004Feb22¬Found=true