Court Urged To Hear Anti-Gay Mayor Case
Written by 365Gay.com Tuesday, 24 February 2009 08:34
A federal judge has been asked to reject a motion to dismiss a first amendment lawsuit by Birmingham gay pride against Mayor Larry Langford.
Central Alabama Pride accuses the mayor of acting unconstitutionally when he barred city workers last June from hanging the banners on city property.
The lawsuit claims the mayor has not restricted banner from other organizations and there was no rational basis to refuse the gay pride banners. The suit also said there is no criteria for hanging banners in Birmingham.
The group said in the suit that Langford subjected the group to religious discrimination in violation of the First Amendment and freedom of speech in violation of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause
CAP has held a gay pride parade through the streets of Birmingham every year since 1987, and had its Pride banners displayed in accordance with city policy that attached banners for a variety of organizations when they have events taking place in the city.
The lawsuit alleges that as a result of the mayor’s refusal to allow city workers to attach CAP banners using city equipment CAP members were forced to subject themselves to extraordinary risks and dangers in order display their message.
“Mayor Larry Langford denied government benefits to Central Alabama Pride solely on the basis of his personal beliefs,” said Lambda Attorney Beth Littrell who represents CAP. “A government official cannot pick and choose which groups get government benefits or free speech rights.”
The City of Birmingham is represented by Liberty Council, a national anti-gay, conservative firm. It filed a motion to dismiss the case. There is no indication when a ruling on the motion will be handed down.
Langford has called the CAP lawsuit a frivolous publicity stunt. He said that he did not discriminate against anyone and that the city only hangs banners for groups sponsored by the city.
However in May, he refused to sign a gay pride proclamation that was passed by city council and said at the time he would deny the group a parade permit.
The permit was eventually granted by the Birmingham Police Department and Langford did not interfere.
The lawsuit isn’t Langford’s only legal problem.
In November he was arrested on federal bribery and fraud charges.
The federal indictment said the charges were connected to a multibillion-dollar sewer bond deal that has driven the surrounding county to the brink of bankruptcy.
Langford, Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre were charged in the 101-count indictment. The charges also include money laundering and filing false tax returns.
Langford is accused of receiving $230,000 in bribes from Blount, some of them routed through LaPierre, to influence the bond deals while Langford was president of the Jefferson County Commission. Blount’s firm made $7.1 million in fees from the bond work.
The three men have denied any wrongdoing.
Read the original article at 365Gay.com
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