November 18, 2006

For Crist's sake

Posted by: Chris

Poor Charlie Crist. Only days after bucking the anti-GOP tide and winning the governor's race in Florida, he faces a mini-rebellion from the religious right. And worse yet, the issue is homosexuality — particular awkward for Crist since he was dogged during the campaign by rumors that he's a closet case.

The Florida Family Association is up in arms because the GOP-controlled Senate committee reviewing Crist's top appointments has prepared a questionnaire that asks, among other things, whether applicants have ever been accuse of "workplace misconduct," including sexual harassment or job discrimination based on race, age, gender or sexual orientation.

That prompted an email alert from the FFA:

"Did the Republicans learn anything from this past election about the consequences of turning their backs on the conservative base?" David Caton, the association's executive director, asked in the message. "Based on this new pro-homosexual proposal, they have not."

The group's message included a sample e-mail that members could send to Pruitt, stating, "Creating criteria that allows candidates for employment to be excluded from working in the governor's administration because homosexual extremists filed a complaint against them is insulting to social conservatives."

The message speaks volumes about gay rights opponents. Their allies in Congress and state houses may argue that workplace protections will saddle businesses with frivolous claims, but their real goal is to block legitimate complaints — allowing employers to refuse work or fire people simply because they're gay.

As momentum builds to push federal workplace protection for gays in the new Democratic Congress, conservative Christians are making similar noises. From today's Washington Post:

Rev. Louis Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition, asserted that the gay-rights bills likely to advance next year will infringe on the rights of those who condemn homosexuality.

"All Americans must be prepared to endure serious threats to their freedom of speech, their right to make employment decisions as business owners, and their religious freedom in the business world," Sheldon said.

A full-fledged, public debate on workplace protection is not only winable — public support is between two-thirds and three-quarters, according to repeated opinion surveys — but will also show the true colors of the religious right. Their priority isn't the protection of the family, but a mean-spirited effort to make life more difficult for gay and lesbian Americans.

Tags: Charlie Crist, ENDA, gay, Lou Sheldon