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 Loss in Domestic Partner Case May Launch Central Florida Attack on Adult Entertainment Pat Robertson's Legal Arm Seeks 'Religious' Sex-Controls |
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By Jack Nichols
Virginia Beach, Virginia—The American Center for Law and Justice is a legal arm of the Christian Right. It calls itself "an international public interest law firm and educational organization that focuses on pro-family, pro-life, and pro-liberty issues."
The law firm was founded by televangelist Pat Robertson. Along with its intense homophobic focus, it also fights on behalf of school prayers and regularly threatens public libraries that carry books it deems vulgar. Zealous "Christian" legal propagandists employed by the ACLJ said Thursday they will appeal a federal court decision upholding—following their failed ACLJ challenge--San Francisco's domestic partner laws.
A homophobic diatribe against same-sex affection colored the statements made by the losing side's Jay Sekulow, ACLJ's Chief Counsel: "This (San Francisco) ruling changes corporate America by creating a culture shift that legitimizes same-sex relationships," he said. "The ordinance redefines the institution of marriage and conflicts with the moral values of most Americans." The failed ACLJ suit had challenged the San Francisco law on several grounds: the city, it argued, should not be permitted to impose its view of "family" on corporations and had overstepped proper authority, the ":Christian" lawyers contended, in creating such a law. Domestic partnership benefits, ACLJ's legal analysts proclaimed, are an unfair restriction on interstate commerce. "We will appeal this decision directly to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals," said the crestfallen Sekulow. "The merits of our case remain strong and we will challenge this ruling." Central Florida Politicians Invite ACLJ to 'Craft' Adult Entertainment Rules The Brevard County Commission in Florida, hosts to the John F. Kennedy Space Center, has invited the American Center for Law and Justice, according to Saturday reports, to refashion county rules governing strip clubs. The Brevard County ACLU registered an immediate public protest as did a singular Brevard County Commissioner, Nancy Higgs. Local ACLU attorneys, pointing to church-state separation laws, warned that any ACLJ-crafted ordinance would end up costing taxpayers millions of dollars in court fees. Brevard's ACLU president laughed at suggestions that the ACLJ lawyers were experts in the adult entertainment field. Commissioner Higgs, who voted against seeking help from the Virginia Beach firm, said:
"They clearly represent a point of view with a conservative perspective on a lot of issues." |
