
Church Backs Anti-Gay Firefighters
LONDON, UK - The Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow said on
Friday that he is backing the nine firefighters who were disciplined for
refusing to hand out fire safety leaflets during a gay pride rally.
Strathclyde fire service said it had taken action against the
firefighters who refused to give out "community fire safety advice" at
the Pride Scotia festival in June.
"All nine will undergo a further intensive course of diversity
training," the force said in a statement. "Their refusal was a
fundamental breach of one of their core responsibilities."
However, Archbishop Mario Conti said he was concerned about what had
happened and expressed solidarity with their actions, adding neither the
officers' competency and commitment had not been questioned.
He said the officers had "legitimate concerns about being the subject of
taunts and jokes, and in which, in come cases, their religious
sensibilities were being grossly offended by people dressed as priests
and nuns lampooning the church."
"The duty to obey one's conscience is a higher duty than that of obeying
orders," Conti said.
The Strathclyde fire service said it had a duty to protect all the 2.3
million people it served, irrespective of their race, religion or
sexuality.
"Firefighters cannot, and will not, pick and choose to whom they offer
fire safety advice," their statement said.
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