Donald Trump‘s campaign has called him the “most pro-gay president in American history,” but he and his administration have clearly not received the memo. Trump’s Department of Justice this week sided with Catholic leaders who ordered a private Indiana school to fire a teacher for being in a same-sex marriage.
The DOJ argued that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis is “entitled to employ in key roles only persons whose beliefs and conduct are consistent” with its “religious precepts.”
Related: Trump supporters cheer as speaker calls for the murder of LGBTQ allies
Because Joshua Payne-Elliott is in a same-sex marriage, the government acknowledges that the world language and social studies teacher would “interfere with the Archdiocese’s public expression of Church doctrine regarding marriage” if he remained employed at Cathedral High School.
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Payne-Elliott worked at the school for 13 years before being terminated just after his marriage. He filed a discrimination complaint against the archdiocese with the Equal Opportunity Commission and sued the church.
Related: Fired federal prosecutor’s tweets have to be seen to be believed
The Trump administration has been a staunch supporter of so-called “religious liberty” that LGBTQ activists argue leaves far too much room for discrimination.
“The administration is taking the position that religious freedoms give you a right to discriminate,” Louise Melling, deputy legal director of the ACLU, told NBC News.
Cam
The religious right used to say gay people were sinners because they weren’t married. Now that marriage is legal they had to come right out and just admit they’re all bigots.
dhmonarch89
I’m sick of religious bigotry, but why are all these people working in religious schools? There are no state benefits, usually no pension and public schools are begging for teachers.
Fname Optional Lname
I know in NY state you used to have to pass a state exam to get your teaching certification which would allow you to teach in public schools. That was not a requirement to work in a private school. Things have probably changed over the years so it must be quite different now but maybe at the time this person was hired it was the only option to get experience or a well needed paycheck?
Kangol2
Many private schools, including private and parochial schools, pay better than public schools, and have more generous benefits (some pay or help cover continuing education, teachers’ conferences, etc.). Also the student bodies tend to be more selective. In the case of certain schools, despite the homophobic Catholic hierarchy, individual principals and fellow faculty members might be very welcoming too. (Some of the Catholic orders are less homophobic than others, if you can believe that.) I agree that many public schools could use the talents of people teaching in private and parochial schools, though.
Cam
Better to ask why these institutions that use infrastructure paid for by our taxes are allowed to run a public business, accept government grants and yet still discriminate.
Toofie
Just pathetic. Are these Catholic leaders firing employees living with their partners without being married? Are divorced people without an annulment being fired?
leo1008
wasn’t this kind of thing decided in a supreme court case just this last election?
irbaboon
Why would any self-respecting gay man want to work for a religion that has spent the past 2000 years persecuting his own kind?
TheMarc
Good question…
TheMarc
This is expected, consistent and unsurprising. Any reasonably intelligent member of the LGBT community can not be under the slightest impression that he supports them directly in ANY way. He opposes Muslim regimes that execute people for being gay or lesbian only because he opposes Muslim regimes. His biggest international hero is Vladimir Putin, an unapologetically despotic, homophobic fascist who regularly attempts to spin his terrifying policies as good for the whole of Russia, if not Europe.
I’m not going to knock what some people have already stated in regard to LGBT persons willfully working at religious institutions. It baffles me as well. I wouldn’t drag my husband before a priest and kiss him just to dare the priest to say something. Because, f’em. They stay out of my face, I’ll stay out of theirs. But, in certain areas, it can be hard to find a job/way to support yourself; and we all know how well funded religious organizations are. But still…maybe look for ANY other job but that.
JessPH
No self-respecting gay person would be Catholic let alone teach in a Catholic school. You can’t support a homophobic church and be gay. You can’t give money to a church that spreads homophobia and be gay. You just can’t.
BaltoSteve
Quick question… what is in his contract? We all have handbooks and what not that we have to follow to remain employed. And I do know that many religious organizations have Moral Pledges you have to sign saying you will follow the moral guidelines.. yadda yadda yadda to remain employed. Did he sign something like that?
GayEGO
Forget Trump and his administration, but if an LGBTQ person is working in a religious school, they should keep their private life separate from their job.
barryaksarben
NO NO NO. WHY? because other people at that school bring their personal lives every day so to deny one person that right is wrong. As for this LYING administration they can lie and lie and lie about how they love us but we are not their usual deplorables that are easily fooled by repeated LIES. We are smarter than that. We see him trying to strip us of our rights with the help of self hating uncle tom traitors like Richard Grennell. I hope this teacher sues and sues and gets a little of that catholic church moeny before they have to give it to all those thousands of children they molested
MISTERJETT
…..and the LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS support this derrière orifice!!!!