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gay rights

California appeals court rules public school could fire dean for ‘obscene’ ad on Craigslist

donal brown May 5, 2011

The California Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled that the San Diego Unified School District could fire a middle school dean for posting what the district claimed was an obscene “men seeking men” ad on Craigslist. The court said it was immaterial whether the students saw the ad or not. The appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that the conduct was immoral and showed unfitness for public service under the education code.  Justice Gilbert

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Free speech: Supreme Court allows church protests at military funerals

donal brown March 2, 2011

In an 8-1 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that hurtful public speech in protests at a military funeral was protected by the First Amendment. Followers of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas had picketed the funeral of a Marine who died in combat in Iraq with signs that read “America is Doomed” and “God Hates Fags.” The church members believe God is punishing American for its pro-gay bias. The decision written by Chief

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Opinion: Hateful speech of Michigan attorney general should be protected

donal brown October 26, 2010

A MediaShift writer argues that a Michigan official’s hate speech is protected by the First Amendment. The assistant attorney general posted harsh comments on the Internet about  a gay student-body president at the University of Michigan. -db MediaShift October 22, 2010 By Jonathan Peters For the last few months, Andrew Shirvell, an assistant attorney general of Michigan, has crusaded against the “radical homosexual agenda” of 21-year-old Chris Armstrong, the openly gay student-body president of the

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New Jersey: Free speech advocates contest school ban on gay anthology

donal brown May 11, 2010

A conservative group has succeeded in convincing the Rancocas Valley Regional High School to remove an acclaimed anthology on teenage homosexuality from the library on the grounds that the anthology was vulgar, obscene and inappropriate. -db The Guardian May 10, 2010 By Alison Flood American free speech organisations are fighting a decision by a New Jersey school to remove a critically acclaimed anthology of writing about teenage homosexuality from library shelves after parents described it

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U.S. Supreme Court hearing two free speech cases as preludes to same-sex marriage case

donal brown April 20, 2010

Two cases currently before the Supreme Court will set the First Amendment ground rules for the debate on same-sex marriage. The case heard this week concerns a Christian legal group at a California law school who wants to bar gays from their membership, a prohibition that the school says violates their nondiscrimination policy. Plaintiffs in the other case from Washington State are challenging the open records law to prevent publication of the names of those

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