A number of states / countries have anti-discrimination laws that make it illegal to discriminate against someone because of his / her race, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

In some places, the Catholic Church (and other organisations) request (and, often, receive) exemption from these rules (in the case of the Church, it is almost always as the laws apply to 'sexual orientation', however defined).

Homoactivists often claim that SSA men and women are, therefore, at risk of discrimination based purely on their 'sexual orientation', especially in terms of employment - something they think is an obvious injustice.

What do you think? Have you (or someone you know) ever experienced anything like this? Should anti-discrimination laws cover 'sexual orientation' alongside race, gender..?

I can't say this has happened to me or anyone I know but I have heard of a situation where an employer wanted to avoid hiring SSA candidates, if possible.

In this instance the employer was a school looking for teachers. When I first heard of this- my initial reaction was vehemently "how can you deny a person a job because of their sexuality?"

I would love to have a family one day, so I tried to think in the context of what I want for any future children I may have. To be honest, I don't think I would want my kids to have an SSA teacher. The exception to this would be if I knew the teacher was SSA AND in line with the teaching of the church, regardless of the subject they teach (be it computer science or religious ed etc). If my children are to spend a significant part of their childhood with their teachers, I want them to be good role models to the kids- in all aspects.

This is quite a specific example though. I suppose it does depend on the nature of the work. Perhaps it comes down sexual orientation rendering someone more or less suitable for a job.

When I was a teenager I was employed by a supermarket to work on a cash register. The employer constantly emphasised their Equal Opportunity Policy, and that they were committed to creating a safe and healthy work environment for all staff and customers.
By the end of 3 years I was wishing they hadn't employed me- I was taller than the register stands were made for and so developed neck and shoulder injuries... Now, I don't think they should have employed me, simply because I was too tall for the job. My height made me unsuitable for the position. But I certainly can't help being tall.

I'm hesitant to say whether anti discrimination laws should cover sexuality. In some instances it should be left to the discretion of the employer. But without laws like this there may be too much potential for unwarranted discrimination because employers could just be homophobic....

I'm strongly in favor of the inclusion of sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws. The simple fact a teacher is homosexual/gay/SSA, whether or not he or she lives with a partner, must never be a ground for not hiring someone.

Gay teachers can be good role models for kids, just as anyone else. It depends on their qualities as a worker and as a person. It is an obvious injustice if someone can only be hired if he has to hide part of his selfhood simply to work.

Christian schools will of course try to hire teachers who share the faith, have the right qualities and exemplify this to children. In practice, many schools hire people who are just nominally Christian or only respect the faith-based fundamentals of the schools.

The Christian life is a life-long path for all of us. Just cherrypick homosexuals as the ones who are somehow a bad influence on children is absurd. A school is not a church, but a school. On the other hand, it should be expected of a teacher to be discrete and non-provocative over his sexual orientation, simply because it is not relevant for his job. It is also important for all teachers to live a Christian life, to be good as a teacher and a person, to try to stimulate children to get the best out of themselves. But there is no perfect Christian. No one could be hired for anything at all if that was a demand.

These are useful replies. I am still thinking through the issues, but I know I would oppose laws that try (or operate so as to) work against Catholic agencies simply because the Church speaks out against things like 'gay marriage', abortion and other evils.

http://johnheard.blogspot.com/2007/06/dreadpublishing-being-heard-john-heard.html

- JH

I don't agree with Anti-discrimination laws. I don't think the government has any place in telling any private institution who they should allow within their organization. Saying that though.. it would be nice if people didn't discriminate based on fairly irrelevant aspects like sexuality. I don't think this logic extends to marriage though, which is a public institution.