San Diego Firefighters File Complaint?

Question

San Diego Firefighters File Complaint for Being Forced to Attend Gay Pride Parade
Four firefighters are pressing sexual harassment claims against the city's fire department after they were taunted while driving a fire engine in a gay pride parade last month, an attorney said Monday.
The men claim their battalion chief ordered them to ride in the July 21 parade through San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood, according to their attorney, Stephen Stirling. The firefighters followed the order out of concern they would otherwise be suspended or punished.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3456508

Was it fair to demand participation in an event that they found distasteful? Would this be deemed as reverse discrimination?

Answer 1

Interesting...article leaves out a few details...such as that the chief is a lesbian and only the byline mentions it was Gay Pride parade. However, the fire department has participated in the past and I'm sure the same harassment has occurred it's just this time some of the forced volunteers have decided that enough was enough.

Answer 2

The city is responsible because they made the fire fighters participate in the parade. As you pointed out they were told to my their Superior. They were clearly participating in the parade and not providing any type of special duty, again making the city responsible. They were right in following the order given to them. If they volunteered to work some special duty and they got harasses, that was their decision to work it and the city would not be responsible at that point. I agree with their lawsuit.

As for the other posters who say the city is not responsible, but the ones who were taunting the fire fighters, you are wrong. The firefighters did not volunteer to be in the parade, they were told to do it by a supervisor. The order given is not unlawful, so they had to comply. Now, if they CHOSE to be in the parade, then th city would not be responsible for the harassment. Also, think about this. A cop gets into a vehicle pursuit with another vehicle. The other vehicle chooses not to stop at a stop sign and runs the intersection, hitting and killing another motorist. Why does the victims family sue the police department and not the driver? It's not the police departments fault the driver decided to run from the police and not stop, why are the cops being sued?

Answer 3

I read that article too (well a similar one). It's sad that they were ordered to participate. I'm glad they are standing up for what they believe and filled the suit. I think they are saying they aren't against homosexuals but felt harassed in that environment. That people were saying nasty things and making crude gestures. Now, that could be a cover but I don't know how they feel about homosexuals. The fact is...no one should be forced to participate in an event like that. That's like making someone hand out condoms to teens at schools. That's just not something you should force someone to do. Anyways, it'll be interesting to see what happens. I think the chief is a lesbian and said she would look into this (but I don't remember all the details)

Answer 4

The Fire Department was way out of line and the Superior who ordered it has already apologized. Parade participation is not mandatory. The people who had originally volunteered were not available at the last minute. This is certainly an unfortunate situation.

Far more unfortunate is the fact that people can even have a "Gay Pride" parade. Since when is anyone's sexuality something to be proud of? Gay's have got me totally confused. If it is as normal as they claim it is why is why be proud of being normal? If it is not normal then are they claiming it is better than normal? Only if being gay was superior to being straight would there be a cause for pride in the accomplishment.

I am a normal heterosexual male. It doesn't make me proud or ashamed. It just is what it is. Don't they realize that as long as homosexuals keep having such things as gay pride parades, gay days at ball games and amusement parks, they will never be accepted as normal by straight people?

Especially with a bunch of drag queens, leather queens and other such sexual misfits vamp-ing it up in broad daylight. I know some homosexual men and they are not effeminate at all. They get deeply embarrassed if anyone teases them about what they saw going on at gay pride parades.

Can you imagine hetrosexual parades where all kinds of kinky sexual fetishes were displayed? It would be equally as revolting.

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Answer 5

The fire chief is an open lesbian. That in itself means nothing. But coupled with her ordering the men to participate in a gay pride event is going to make a strong case for sexual harassment. This is going to to end up costing the city taxpayers a lot of money.

Answer 6

My dad is /was a firefighter for almost 30 years in Chicago . Things go differently in Chicago compared to anywhere else . My dad and his compatriots would've risked suspension and refused the order . Those San Diego Firefighters could've done the same . Sure they would've risked suspension , but they also may have won in court afterwards . The difference being . . . . is that Chicago Firefighters stand on their principles first and San Diego Firefighters need to grow a set .. . if ya know what I mean .
Case in point - In the 70's Chicago's Mayor Byrne had promised the Chicago Firefighters a contract -- believe it or not , they had worked decades without one . So Byrne garnered the support of Chicago Firefighters and got elected as a result . Then she withdrew her promise / lied her *** off . So the Firefighters voted to go on strike . A terrible time in Chicago . They agreed to strike , BUT , in their consciences they would not let people die . So they went to work everyday and when there was a call for a fire , they responded but only to save lives . It was the principle of the matter .

Principles . . . .. . Something more people need to look into for themselves .

Answer 7

God Bless our beloved Fire fighter's, and their morals. I am myself a San Diegan, and my son and I honor them once a year, attending the Health-Fair downtown. This is complete Liberal BS to force them to attend such an immoral (to some folks personally) event! I used to live in Hillcrest, on Banker's Hill, and know the activities of the gays in that area. I want to know, just because someone is paid by the taxpayers, and works for the city, why must they give up their personal freedoms, and choices to a politically based, and biased forum such as Liberal gays? It's wrong!
Give it a couple of hours, and I am sure you will get more information, complaints, and websites from the San Diego Police Department, for the same blank things as the Fire fighter's went through!

Answer 8

I'm just curious to see if the ACLU jumps in on this one seeing as how they are such "warriors", snicker, snicker, for the cause of justice. Justice being denied to the firefighters by forcing them to do something they shouldn't have to under fear of retribution from their lesbian captain.
Their jobs are to fight fires, and promote safety. Not ride in ANY parade.

I've never heard of a fire department forcing it's employees to ride in a KKK parade. It would be the same thing under different flags. You can bet your bottom dollar if that were to happen and a group of black firefighters tried to sue the city, the ACLU would be all over that one.

Answer 9

They don't have grounds to sue the city for harassment, but there might be OTHER grounds on which to sue the city. I don't see why they should be compelled to perform what is really a non-essential duty.

Having said that, I agree with others here that if they want to sue for harassment specifically, it's the paraders whom they should sue - and that would only be possible in civil court, as the paraders were exercising their 1st Amendment rights.

What REALLY needs to happen is for those firefighters to look themselves in the mirror (clothed or naked, doesn't matter - or at least SHOULDN'T matter) and examine themselves for thin skins and weak egos.

Answer 10

It is wrong to compel a person to attend any function outside of the scope of the job.

Had they been required to act in a service capacity, then they would have had no complaint.

They are rightfully seeking recompense. Let it be a lesson to all those with power over others; this is no different than forcing a woman to engage in sexual 'favors' while under threat of losing her job, it is an abuse of power.