A California court ruled on Tuesday that San Diego city will have to pay US$34,300 in total to compensate four firefighters for lost earnings and emotional distress for having to march in the city's gay pride parade - an act that constituted sexually harassment.
Firefighters John Ghiotto, Chad Allison, Jason Hewitt and Alexander Kane. Photo from wnd.com.
In the official Complaint of Discrimination document filed by Ghiotto and made available by Fox News, Ghiotto said that himself and his crew were subjected to crude comments, vulgar actions and simulated sex acts along the parade route. (See image above.)
Attorney Charles LiMandri also said his clients witnessed a man groping another man along the parade route, creating an offensive work environment.
The jury ruled that each of the four should receive US$5,000. One should receive an additional US$14,200 because he felt compelled to transfer to a different fire station after the incident, and another will receive US$100 as reimbursement for a co-pay for a counseling session.
The jury concluded after two days of deliberation that the Fire Department violated its own anti-sexual-harassment policy by forcing the four into the parade over their objections.
Jurors were unable to reach a verdict in the first civil trial last September. In that trial, the firefighters' attorney asked the jury to award each firefighter from US$500,000 to US$1 million.
Since the lawsuit was filed, Fire Chief Tracy Jarman, who marched in the parade, has changed departmental policy, making participation in parades voluntary. The city attorney's office, which represented the Fire Department in the lawsuit, plans an appeal.
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That said I find it hard to believe a group of tough, butch, brave firemen who face death regularly were really afraid of a bit of attention from some excited queens. But if they were, they now know how women all over the world feel, who constantly face this sort of behaviour, and much worse, from straight men.
And looking at the picture of these guys they do not look that stressed to me.
Yet another pathetic case in the claims culture in the US.
There are low class morons in gay circles too. The organisers of the parade should have sued for discrimination, equally, and individually, if they were not subsequently.
"We serve with pride"...not that pride, anymore.
JP aka
33longchamp
The following is a well put point of view I came across elsewhere:
"I'm gay, and I sure as heck would not want to be forced by my employer to participate in some "Hooters" promotion during which I was repeatedly forced to deal with the sexual comments and gestures of straight people.
"So, when the shoe is on the other foot - as it is in this case - I can understand why these firefighters were upset and why they sued.
"It's important that Cities show unity and inclusion at Gay Pride Parades; it shows that we, too, are full-fledged and important tax-payers on equal standing with straight citizens. However, that does not, in my mind, clear a City of taking responsibility for what happens to its employees who are forced to represent the City at such events.
Straight or gay, people have the right not to be harassed."
Philip M. San Diego
Blacks have learnt that being decked out in blings and talking thug may sell some records in the short term (as 50 Cent is finding out), but all that in-your-face posing will not get a black man into the White House.
However, I also agree with steveuk that your verbal abuse diluted the strength of your ideas.
We learn from every gay-related incident, and this particular one taught me much.
Nobody should be forced to march in a parade, especially one that does not represent the vaues or thoughts of forced participants.
I am gay and I would never march in a ga parade. I find them embarassing. My general experience is that they reinforce all the negative stereotypes that I reject as a gay man.
I understand and accept that some people like to reinforce those stereotypes and be wild and crazy, but that does not represent my idea of what being a gay man is.
My disdain at these events is not just directed towards gay parades, but also to any public event where peopel fail to maintain a proper social decorum that is respectful to thsoe around them.
Groping and grabbing, semi nudity, drunkeness, lewdness of any kind by any group of people is not socially acceptable in my book.
I will kiss and grope by bf at home or in an appropriate place , not in the broadview of the public eye.
Surely participation in such events should be voluntary for both gay and straight. I would certainly hope this was the case of any event that I may at times be associated with, which didn't reflect my own way of life.
I'm surprised by some of the views expressed below...
The fire chief is a lesbian and she should know better. Suppose her boss forced her to have a firetruck participate in an anti-gay rally. You can bet she'd be up in arms over that.
Righthandful, you said " These guys joined the force to fight fires and save lives, not demonstrate how comfortable they are with their own sexuality." You right about that, their jobs are about saving lives and fighting fires. Nothing more, and that includes being forced to participate in a gay pride parade.
Lala will take all 4 firemen at once... including the judge with my strap-on in front of huge FEMALE audience in the worl! Coz no woman being compensated that much while the shows for female exploitation is on all the times for centuries...
ITS PAY BACK TIME for all the male puxxies!!!
in san francisco and one in long beach am proud
to say "been there, done that". repreticious, repreticious, repreticious.. if the firemen knew that
these things were going to happen then so did the
city of san diego. so the city played right into the
hand of the firemen by forceing them to participate.
the city should be happy the judge used a common
sence amount to compensate the firemen..and not
the 500,000usd the lawyer wanted..
just like straight people there are always going to
be the good, bad, and ugly. sorry, it applies to gay men/women too. why, would you stand on
a parade route and do these lewed things to anyone entrusted with saving your life and home.
simple, those people will always represent the dark side of gay society and will alwys have us going "one step forward and two steps back" you
know one day in the u.s.a. thanks to them we will
probably see "hetro pride parades" ....lol.. so its
come down to live and learn..
Why should 4 straight men be intimidated in a street carnival ? First of all it's a parade. The fun , the laughter etc ......it's all in the name of fun. Come on , if we don't this straighten , soooooon , we will have a case where there will be no fire fighters , no paramedics and other helpers in such parades. Only gay firemen , only gay docs , only gay what have you in a gay event.
We can turn the tables around ...we gays get tormented with remarks and sue for mental torture. What is happening ?????? Well you can make such money only in a place like the US. Sue and be sued. It's the name of the name.
I am lost for words. I think I am going to visit my lawyers and have a word with them and see if I can sue my co workers for calling me a bitch. I am suffering and depressed with the remarks. ( even though I enjoyed being called one )...see if I can also make some money !!!! hahahhaahahah
If the firemen were asked to march at a more "harmless" event such as a Chinese New Year parade and they get wolf whistles from the crowd and are asked to "take it off" (from men and women), what would the result be?
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