"Anti-Gay Pastor Has Constitutional Right To Pick Up Male Hustlers For Sex Lawyer Says" by the Associated PressOklahoma City, Oklahoma
—The lawyer for a former Baptist church leader who had spoken out against homosexuality said Thursday the minister has a constitutional right to solicit sex from an undercover policeman.The Rev. Lonnie W. Latham had supported a resolution calling on gays and lesbians to reject their "sinful, destructive lifestyle" before his January 3rd 2006 arrest outside the Habana Inn in Oklahoma City.
Authorities say he asked the undercover policeman to come up to his hotel for oral sex.
His attorney, Mack Martin, filed a motion to have the misdemeanor lewdness charge thrown out, saying the Supreme Court ruled in the 2003 decision Lawrence v. Texas that it was not illegal for consenting adults to engage in private homosexual acts.
"Now, my client's being prosecuted basically for having offered to engage in such an act, which basically makes it a crime to ask someone to do something that's legal," Martin said.
Both sides agree there was no offer of money, but prosecutor Scott Rowland said there is a "legitimate governmental interest" in regulating offers of acts of lewdness.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma has filed a brief claiming that Latham's arrest also violated his right to free speech.
Before his arrest, Latham had spoken against same-sex marriage and in support of a Southern Baptist resolution that called upon gays and lesbians to reject their lifestyle.
He has since resigned as pastor of the South Tulsa Baptist Church and stepped down from the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, where he was one of four members from Oklahoma.
On Thursday Latham declined to talk to reporters at the non-jury trial.
Judge Roma M. McElwee said she would rule on the motion and issue a verdict in about two weeks. If convicted of the misdemeanor, Latham faces up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
The case has similarities to that of the Rev. Ted Haggard who was forced to leave his Colorado Springs megachurch and resign as president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a position which had given him unbridled access to the White House, after a male prostitute went public about gay sex trysts and drug abuse.
Originally posted by Imperial_Samura
I'm sure the gay community will weclome him if he accepts he is homosexual and rejects his destructive, Christian lifestyle.Yep, a 2005 Mercedes, that's just wrong. Still, it's good to see the old life of poverty and all wealth to God and his good works is going so well for him.
Humor: +1
Irony: +1
Hypocrite Preachers: -1
I_S: +2
Originally posted by sithsaber408The ACLU's mission is to protect the Bill of Rights. So obviously they are for free speech regardless what of what the wingnut is saying. So if the ACLU takes issue with what he's saying, it's likely because of the Freedom of Religion clause of the First Amendment rather than the Freedom of Speech.
I find it particularly ironic that the ACLU is arguing for a pastor's right to free speech if it's to request gay sex, but that they condem a pastor's right to free speech (and practice of religion) if he's against gay sex.😉
Sorry, bucko, you're wrong 😉
Originally posted by botankusTo quote The American President: "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil who is standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the 'land of the free'? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the 'land of the free.'"
To quote Ice-T and Body Count: "Freedom of Speech, boy, just watch what you say."
Good movie.
Here's something pretty funny. Take that quote, starting with "You want free speech?....." right on to the "land of the free," and paste it into Yahoo. That's right, the whole quote. The amount of politicians and random organizations that are using that text as their own is staggering. Not one mention of the source! I was expecting to see a bunch of stuff on The American President, but all I got was Bob B.F. up in the middle of nowhere running for town drunk or something like that.
Originally posted by sithsaber408
I find it particularly ironic that the ACLU is arguing for a pastor's right to free speech if it's to request gay sex, but that they condem a pastor's right to free speech (and practice of religion) if he's against gay sex.😉
I find it ironic that another anti-gay speaker happens to be homo 🙂
Sith...is there something you wanna tell us ? 😉
Originally posted by Robtard
Technically, someone can be "pro" something and not "anti" anything else; it is a fine line though.But in his case, I think his "pro-straight" ideals have a direct and negative affect on homosexuals, e.g. banning of gay marriages.
Being pro-straight basically means you are Heterosexist.
Heterosexists see themselves and thier lifestyle as superior to homosexuals and thier lifestyles.
He is anti-gay through his stance, whether he realizes it or not.
That's like mild racism. "I don't hate blacks...i just prefer to be white. Being white is better"