Atlanta Kasim Reed will not back down from 'religious liberty' controversy

I have to give MAJOR PROPS to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.  He is catching a huge amount of flack for his dismissal of former city fire chief Kelvin Cochran.

While Cochran's supporters claim that this is an issue of religious persecution, Reed has contended that this is an issue of bad judgement and behavior by Cochran.

And he is not back down. In the following interview with MSNBC's Tamron Hall, Mayor Reed makes his points eloquently  but forcefully. In doing so, he is a model for us all when we are called anti-Christian bigots because we believe in fairness and respect for all:

Related posts:

 Atlanta's Mayor Dismantles "Religious Freedom" Defense Of Terminated Anti-Gay Fire Chief

Does Kelvin Cochran's definition of religious liberty justify his dismissal? Probably so

Stopping an anti-gay smear BEFORE it gains power

Today comes news that a pro-lgbt cake shop in Colorado is being sued on the grounds of religious discrimination.

But all is not what it seems. According to The New Civil Rights Movement:

If you want a wedding cake, the Azucar Bakery in Denver wants to make one for you. Gay, straight, they don't care. A walk through their Facebook photos shows a vast assortment of cakes and desserts, which may be one of the reasons owner Marjorie Silva (photo above) won an award for Best Wedding Cake at the 2012 Colorado Chocolate Festival. Recently, an older man walked into the bakery and asked for a bible-shaped cake, which was "no problem at all," Silva tells OutFront. In fact, she says she makes Christian-themed cakes "all the time."

The man pulled out a piece of paper with the words he wanted written on the cake, but he would not hand it over.

"He wanted us to write God hates …" one of the employees, Lindsey, told OutFront. "Just really radical stuff against gays."

"He wouldn’t allow me to make a copy of the message, but it was really hateful," Marjorie says. "I remember the words detestable, disgrace, homosexuality, and sinners."

"I told him that I would bake the cake in the shape of a Bible," says Marjorie. "Then I told him I’d sell him a [decorating] bag with the right tip and the right icing so he could write those things himself."

"He told me I needed to talk to my attorney about this," Marjorie adds, saying he then left the bakery, only to return a few hours later, to ask if she had contacted her lawyer. She had not. Lindsey says she thinks the man "was looking for trouble, and describes him as "being really pushy and disruptive."

Silva has since been notified by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) that a discrimination complaint against the bakery has been filed. In the response to the complaint, Lindsay wrote that the man "wanted an open book with the words 'god hates homosexuality' and a 'no' sign over two men. He also wanted a scripture and the Ghostbusters logo."

This man doesn't have a legal leg to stand on. The bakery didn't refuse his service even when the owners felt what he wanted to put on the cake was offensive. And it even offered to sell him a cake bag so he could do the writing himself.  It's clear that the man was looking for a reason - however unjustifiable - to sue. I cringe to think how far he would have taken it if the bakery had agreed to decorate the cake.

Now reasonably, this would be the end of it. However,  add an anti-gay network of bloggers, organizations, and fake news sources, you have the recipe for an homophobic cause celebre which would flood the airwaves and state Congressional halls with cries of anti-Christian persecution before the truth even has a chance to put on its shoes.

'Republicans FINALLY censures Dave Agema for racist, homophobic posts' & other Thursday midday news briefs

Mississippi schools under fire over efforts to curb Gay-Straight Alliance - It's amazing how ignorant some folks are when it comes to students wanting to start gay/straight alliance clubs. The sad thing is that all it would take is for these folks to establish a dialogue with the students wanting to start the clubs. But as it is, they want to do things the hard way. Have at it. 

GOP Censures Anti-Gay Republican - I am SO not impressed. This should have happened to Dave Agema a long time ago. It was when he demonstrated himself to be a racist as well as a homophobe that Republicans are getting "alarmed" enough to censure him. 

More information from 2013 - Dave Agema saga exposes the lies of the anti-gay right

Lawmaker Wants To Pay Students $2,500 If They See A Transgender Person In The ‘Wrong’ Bathroom - Oh good Lord! I think we should get more alarmed at lawmakers stirring up fear about this nonexistent issue of our transgender brothers and sisters using bathrooms.  

Judge: Michigan Must Recognize 300-Plus Gay Marriages - Decision stayed for 21 days but still an awesome victory.  

Anti-gay ‘religious freedom’ discrimination bill on way to N.C. - Oh brother! Here we go, here we go!  

World Congress of Families Spokesman: 'Russia Is The Hope For the World Right Now' - What in gay hell . . .

Anti-gay leader Tony Perkins prefers hyperbole to actual debate

Far be it from Family Research Council Tony Perkins to discuss the actual facts when it comes to the dismissal of former Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran.

He prefers hyperbole and false claims about how folks would rather shut down "Christians" like him rather than debate issues. Of course one of the grand ironies is that Perkins pointedly refuses to debate lgbts on issues: