KICKED IN THE BALLS

In a move that it surely going to outrage American Christians, the French Amateur Soccer League has permanently banned a predominantly French Muslim team, Creteil Bebel, for refusing to play a predominantly gay soccer team.

Apparently, the French do not exempt "religion" from secular laws against discrimination.  A majority of Americans would criticize the French for attacking religious freedom; the French would respond that discrimination is not a religious entitlement.

"The Creteil Bebel team is excluded from the Leisure Football Commission for refusing a match and (making) discriminatory comments," the commission's website explains.

The predominantly gay soccer team, Paris Foot Gay (PFG) were set to play fellow Creteil Bebel, who are composed of mainly Muslim players, on October 4.

Bebel shot off an email to the queers:  "Sorry, but because of the name of your team and in keeping with the principles of our team, which is a team of practicing Muslims, we cannot play against you," the message said "Our convictions are stronger than a game of football."

The French conviction in opposition to discrimination is stronger than religion-based bigotry.

The French amateur league banned Creteil for "refusing the match on discriminatory grounds." "It's a permanent exclusion, they will never be reinstated," league president Jacques Stouvenel said.

Our President would very much disagree with this French position.

In fact, despite glorious speech making to America's queer elite on his support for equality, Obama continues to pour billions of dollars into government-funded programs that deny employment and services to gay Americans on the basis of religion.

With all eyes focused on gay rights legislation and Obama's smoke screen speeches, the truth is out there.  Still out there.

You may recall that our gay-loving Prez promised in his campaign to preserve President George W. Bush’s faith-based initiative aimed at helping social service programs sponsored by religious organizations win federal grants and contracts.

But he also promised a vitally important change: groups receiving federal money would no longer be allowed to discriminate against gay Americans either in employment or in the provision of charitable and social services.

Obama simply lied and continues to do so.  In fact, his commitment to change and equality never seems to pan out when the proverbial rubber hits the road.

The idea was to prevent discrimination and preserve the boundary between church and state. But Mr. Obama has still not made good on this promise.

It doesn't require Congressional action, it simply requires an Executive Order and enforcement, but Obama has still done nothing.  Nothing.

In fact, Obama's February executive order revamping the White House office for religion-based and neighborhood programs left untouched Bush's 2002 presidential directive authorizing religious-oriented programs that receive federal financing to hire and fire on religious grounds.

Also left untouched was a constitutionally suspect 2007 memo concluding that the government cannot order religious groups not to discriminate as a condition of federal financing — even in programs like Head Start, where religious discrimination is outlawed. The memo, based on a far-fetched interpretation of the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, was produced by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. That is the same outfit that wrote the memos authorizing torture.

A coalition of 58 religious, educational and civil liberties groups is now seeking to reverse the 2007 memo. A group letter last month to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. asked him to direct the current Office of Legal Counsel to review and withdraw the memo.

Nothing has been done. No action has been taken.  So while our President is dropping his glorious words at gay events, he remains personally and directly responsible for the most far-reaching act of discrimination against gay Americans in history.

Those darned Frenchies!

Comments

[Alan down in Florida]

While I appreciate that the job is harder than any of us can imagine, the POTUS is so busy trying to be a statesman that he has forgotten what leadership means.