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The bitter nationwide debate over transgender rights is playing out on a very personal level in a federal court lawsuit filed in Virginia by a former Liberty University employee. She was fired by the evangelical Christian school after disclosing her identity as a transgender woman.

The lawsuit on behalf of Ellenor Zinski was filed in July by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and the Richmond law firm of Butler Curwood. It alleges that she was fired last year from her job on Liberty’s Information Technology help desk solely because of her gender identify, in violation of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Earlier this month, the conservative legal organization Liberty Counsel filed a brief on behalf of the university asking the federal district court to dismiss the lawsuit. The brief contends that the Civil Rights Act explicitly permits religious educational institutions to make employment decisions consistent with their religious doctrine — in this case a doctrinal statement asserting that “denial of birth sex by self-identification with a different gender” is sinful.

  • floofloof@lemmy.caEnglish
    18·
    2 months ago

    It depends what kind of Christianity you’re dealing with. Where I live, most of the churches have rainbow flags on display with “everyone’s welcome here” messages and lost of leftish liberals with fairly progressive views. Some even put pro-LGBTQ+ messages on their signs that call people out for bigotry. But Liberty University isn’t that kind of Christianity.

    • Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      111·
      2 months ago

      Yup. A lot of churches have the stance of “love thy neighbor. Did I fucking stutter?” and it’s very refreshing after decades of nonstop hate. Not saying the hate isn’t still out there, but we’ve come a long way even in the past 10 years.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        63·
        2 months ago

        love thy neighbor

        I guess Jesus didn’t consider his neighbor’s slaves to be neighbors as well… Or is there something about a slave that makes them not need love like other humans?

        • Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          72·
          2 months ago

          I am quite certain that the churches I’m talking about are adamantly against slavery.

              • TheCannonball@lemmy.world
                3·
                2 months ago

                You don’t see how Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the Christian church, who are named for being “Christ like”, and the Bible, the holy book of his teachings and God’s stances on the rules to enter heaven, are relevent to his people?

                I actually agree with you.

                Jesus and the Bible are irrelevant to Christians.

                  • TheCannonball@lemmy.world
                    1·
                    2 months ago

                    It’s not that you have to, but the very fact that i could owns slaves, beat them daily, rape them, sell them, and do almost anything I wanted with them and God would give me a thumbs up as I walked through the pearly gates.

    • Don_alForno@feddit.org
      4·
      2 months ago

      Gee, it’s almost as if their religion’s name patron had preached to love and forgive each other and aid the poor and downtrodden. Crazy thought.