The new head of the Office of Special Counsel has now decided that if you work for him you can be fired for being gay. So much for Mr. Bush's earlier - and obviously false - statements that gays deserve civil rights.
If you thought the debate ended with marriage, you were wrong.
The Federal Times is reporting that newly appointed Special Counsel Scott Bloch is now interpreting federal hiring statutes such that gays, if they are fired for being gay, have no recourse. In essence, they cannot claim discrimination. To quote the piece, "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."
The interpretation even defies so-called "lawyers logic." In essence, you can be gay as you wanna be, but if we fire you for it, so sad.
Find the story here: http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=2727185
One is reminded that Jim Crow really got legs in this country when the Federal government began taking steps toward segregation within its own rules and practices. Never forget that it was Woodrow Wilson who segregated the armed forces. If we think this policy change in an obscure federal agency lacks legs, then we must think again. This is precedent setting - now doubt Pink Jim Crow states will soon begin reading their own hiring statutes as such and how much longer before "family friendly" corporations (Wal-Mart?) follow suit?
This is bad, bad news, folks...not just for gays and lesbians, but for justice.
