DOJ Informs Employees to 'Verbally Affirm' Homosexuality

By Todd Starnes, CP Op-Ed Contributor Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The Department of Justice has been accused of religious intolerance and viewpoint discrimination after workers were sent an email directing them to verbally affirm homosexuality, according to a religious liberty law firm representing a DOJ whistleblower.

Liberty Counsel said DOJ employees were emailed a brochure called "LGBT Inclusion at Work: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Managers." The brochure was created as a resource from DOJ Pride, an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees of the DOJ.

A Department of Justice spokesperson did not return calls seeking comment. Fox News also reached out to DOJ Pride for comment – but emails were not answered.

Among the directives is an order for workers to vocally affirm homosexuality.

"Don't judge or remain silent," the brochure read. "Silence will be interpreted as disapproval."

They were also told to post "DOJ Pride" stickers in their office to indicate, "that it is a safe place."

One gay DOJ employee is quoted in the directive; "Silence seems like disapproval. There's still an atmosphere of LGBT issues not being appropriate for the workplace (particularly for transgender people), or that people who bring it up are trying to rock the boat."

Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, said every American should be outraged by the DOJ orders.

"This administration is pushing the most radical, immoral agenda on the American people," Staver said. "Christians are not merely required to 'shut up,' but now they are being coerced to embrace immorality that goes against their sincerely held religious beliefs."

Liberty Counsel is representing an unidentified female DOJ worker in Washington, D.C. who received the brochure.

Staver said the woman is terrified she might lose her job unless she publicly affirms homosexuality – and she's not the only one.

"Christians are frightened and terrified of losing their jobs," Staver told Fox News. "You just can't keep you head down and do your job. Now you have to become an advocate for the LGBT agenda – and if you don't – the DOJ will consider that to be intolerant."

Staver said the idea that Christians who might oppose homosexuality have to put up a pro-gay symbol in their office smacks of thought police.

"Under this directive, one cannot be a Christian and a manager at the Department of Justice," he said. "How does one who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible display 'gay pride' stickers?"

Liberty Counsel vice president Matt Barber told Fox News that the DOJ has created an extremely hostile work environment for Christians.

"This is '1984' just a few decades late," Barber said. "This is so Orwellian. President Obama said he intended to fundamentally transform America. That's exactly what they are doing and they are doing it within the Department of Justice."

Barber said some female DOJ workers have also expressed concerns about transgender workers using their bathroom facilities.

"They (DOJ leaders) have said if you are uncomfortable with a man in a skirt using the facilities – then tough – you need to get over it," Barber told Fox News.

The brochure quoted a male employee who dresses like a woman: "I want people to understand that I'm real. I want to be recognized as the gender I really am…Just imagine if people were constantly debating YOUR bathroom privileges. Imagine how humiliating that would be."

Workers were also told to use "inclusive" words like partner or significant other – rather than traditional terms like husband or wife. They were also told to use a transgender person's chosen name and the pronoun that is consistent with the person's self-identified gender.

DOJ employees were told to stop using phrases like "gay lifestyle" or "sexual preference" – because those words are "considered by many as offensive."

Barber said it was a form of sexual harassment.

"If you feel sexually harassed and complain about it – then you are the one who could get in trouble – because you've violated the transgender person's rights," he said.

Todd Starnes is the host of Fox News & Commentary – heard daily on 250+ radio stations. He's also the author of Dispatches From Bitter America. To check out all of his work you can visit his website or follow him on Twitter @toddstarnes. In his spare time, Todd is active in his church, plays golf, follows SEC football, and eats barbecue. He lives in New York City.