Calling it a "victory for religious liberty," a North London registrar who refused to perform gay civil partnerships because they were "sinful" wins a landmark discrimination suit. The Independent:
In a unanimous judgment, an employment tribunal found Islington council in north London unlawfully discriminated against Lillian Ladele, who was threatened with dismissal when she asked to be excused from conducting gay marriage ceremonies.
Ms Ladele, who worked in the registration service for nearly 16 years, said she held "orthodox Christian beliefs'' about marriage and same-sex unions and was not happy to perform civil partnerships. She asked to be excused from them because other registrars could conduct the services.
She was subjected to various acts of direct discrimination by the council on the grounds of her religious beliefs, the Central London Employment Tribunal ruled. This included disciplining her and threatening her with dismissal, concluding that she had committed gross misconduct and labelling and treating her as homophobic.
The self-described "Christian" tells the BBC, "I am delighted at this decision. It is a victory for religious liberty, not just for myself but for others in a similar position. Gay rights should not be used as an excuse to bully and harass people over their religious beliefs."
That's funny because many of us believe "religion" should not be "used as an excuse to bully and harass people" over their sexuality.
Registrar wins same-sex tribunal [BBC]
Registrar wins right to refuse gay weddings [Ind]
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