Fired Color Purple actress sues for religious discrimination

[qolbinau]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7515845/amp/Actress-lost-dream-role-quoting-Bible-Facebook-sues-religious-discrimination.html

This absolutely seems like religious discrimination to me. However, it shows just how incompatible religious beliefs such as those found in Christianity and Islam are with 21st century progressive values and human rights.

[imeldasturn]

Don't think things will go great for her, in 2011 the High Court already ruled that  laws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation should take precedence over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds. She should just shut the **** up and starts looking for a new profession.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

LOL

[qolbinau]

So instead of confronting head on her religious beliefs we pretend that she isn’t a real Christian? Ok. Love that we seem to protect religion at all costs.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

It’s not pretending. A real Christian loves all people. Not this pick-and-choose BS. That’s not what the Bible is about. I’m a former Christian and this kind of hypocrisy is exactly why I left the church.

[sinister teashop]

imeldasturn said: "Don't think things will go great for her, in 2011 the High Court already ruled thatlaws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation should take precedence over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds... "

It'd probably go quite well for her here in the US where heterosexual wedding cakes have inalienable rights.  

I'd say heads up to producers in the US, not with this particular case of course but with the potentiality of others like it.

[Rainah]

Man. It would have been so easy for her to not be in this position. Post a ramble about how jesus loves everyone and it'll blow over. Probably shouldn't, but it would. This is "I don't believe I should have to do a single thing and should recieve zero pushback for being homophobic". The self righteousness is galling.

[Olivia11]

Hate is not a right. Period.

Fact is, once she filed this lawsuit, no one is ever going to hire her again, win or lose (and she should lose). She should probably pray on the idea of karma and repentance.

[ModernMillie3]

Being hateful and homophobic is not acceptable. They had every right to fire her and I'm glad they did. Ticket sales would have suffered, and they are trying to make money. She will never work again, so game over. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Man, she REALLY never wants to work again.

[TheQuibbler]

I won’t be able to articulate this as succinctly as I would like, but what’s interesting to me is obviously one can have religious views and not be homophobic but someone will have to prove that she was fired due to her religious beliefs separate of her homophobic remarks. And yet it seems she’s almost conflating them to be one and the same as if homophobia is part of her religious identity and she was then fired for that identity.

[Dolly80]

She isn’t going to win. She is finished. How can she work in an industry that is populated by so many gay people ? No one should have to work with someone as bigoted as her. Hiding behind her ‘religion’. Disgraceful person.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

The weirdest part of this whole story is that she was going to play an LGBTQ character!  If she was that "religious," she wouldn't have even signed up to play the role.

[SweetLips22]

We have a similar situation in Australia but this time with a footballer. He spouted his big mouth through the written word somewhere about gays and the faith and got booted off the team losing millions of $s in contract and sponsors.

Now fighting in the courts for religious freedom of expression.

Line up every book of faith/religion of which there are 100s--all written whenever by a person. Read them all and THEN decide 'I like this one, I'm going to try and influence everyone that THIS is what you all should follow---or else' !

Get real--as if one needs a fairy tale to tell you right from wrong. Education, if it had done it's job, is what that's for, then follow your natural instincts.

If you insult, discriminate and verbally abuse a fellow because of your 'belief' then sister you better crawl back into that cave or get dragged by the hair by the man with the big wooden club so you can start some old cave drawing to begin your own religion--Thou shalt not club....Humour Moderators.

Now will I start on the insane cost of weddings?

 

[Plannietink08]

She wasn’t discriminated against at all. She wasn’t dropped from the role because of her religion. She was dropped because of the offence caused by her social media posts which, I’m sure, would be mentioned as a no-no in the contract she signed for the role. 

She isn’t invited to auditions and unable to find an agent because she hasn’t been the least bit remorseful despite accepting paycheques from an industry which celebrates gay people.  

[VintageSnarker]

Ugh, the Daily Mail. So much nonsense before getting to the point. She didn't just quote the Bible. 5 years ago (so she was 20 and should have known better) she wrote "I do not believe you can be born gay and I do not believe homosexuality is right." Frankly, if she uses her facebook page to voice opinions that are this controversial/inflammatory, it's surprising no one caught it sooner.

"‘I really wanted the role but what they wanted me to do was completely against my faith. I did not want to lie just to keep a job.’"

She made a choice to write what she wrote. Then she made another choice to not apologize. No one did anything to her. She's not a victim. 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

So...according to the article, if she had apologized for the post, she might have been able to keep the job, but she refused??? This girl is in the wrong business.

[AADA81]

She was fired for homophobic rants, not for her religious beliefs.  Also, stating she doesn't believe people are born gay isn't a religious belief, it's ignorant.  She has a right to believe whatever she wants and practice those beliefs in her personal life.  She does not have the right to impose those beliefs on others or make ignorant, prejudiced remarks without impunity.  Posting what she did wasn't an example of her practicing her faith, which is a personal matter, it was an example of her publicly putting down a group of people she dislikes.  That's bad for business and any employer has a right to give an employee the boot for doing that.

[Jarethan]

The Distinctive Baritone said: "So...according to the article, if she had apologized for the post, she might have been able to keep the job, but she refused??? This girl is in the wrong business."

For a person who is hired to play a character who has a positive transformation as a result of a gay relationship to stand firm in her unwillingness to apologize for past homophobic posts, and then sue for discrimination, is absurd to me.  Were she white and from the mid-West these days, I might expect such a post; but, working in an industry that is proud of its gay members, she really does need to find another line of work.  No matter how talented she is, she is not going to be successful.  And, personally, I don't wish her well...I am so sick of all this discrimination in the name of Jesus.  

[ACL2006]

Her career is done. This is clearly a desperation attempt to save it and to make some money.

[GavestonPS]

imeldasturn said: "Don't think things will go great for her, in 2011 the High Court already ruled thatlaws protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation should take precedence over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds. She should just shut the **** up and starts looking for a new profession."

That's the "High Court" in Britain, yes? I don't have much confidence in how the American Supreme Court would rule on such a case.

This business of defining "religious freedom" as "I get to impose my magical thinking on everybody else" needs to end. The actress has every right to her hateful views; the theater company has every right not to employ her. Upholding bigotry on the ground of "religious freedom" is precisely the "establishment of a state religion" (Christianity) the founding fathers sought to prevent.

[Bettyboy72]

Employers CAN fire you for making comments or acting in ways that do not align with their mission. That’s why they often check out your social media. She’s delusional and clearly looking for a payday.

[Plannietink08]

I look forward to seeing how much comfort she finds in her religion when she isn’t able to pay hers bills. Spending her life training for a career in the theatre only to be blacklisted. Brutal.

This whole situation reminds me of Effie White, without the redemption, or specifically when Effie is on welfare. “Mister, you can keep asking me that question. But the answer's always gonna be the same. The only thing I know how to do is sing. And since there ain't nobody letting me do that no more, no, I did not look for a job.”

It’s a long, long, long life when you can’t do the one thing you’re actually good at. I hope she learns and I hope she tried to make amends because if not she better get used to that Universal Credit.

[OffOnBwayHi]

I'm gay — and I found it icky when she was let go.

I didn't like what she said, but there are so many people that need to be cancelled for saying things that don't align with their place of employment. We'd all be blackballed.

She's whack, but the whole thing with the firing and cancelling doesn't sit well with me. Feels like the wrong action. We don't treat others how we would like to be treated. We're in a time where we don't consider grace and that's really sad.

Until it happens to you...

[Rainah]

The Distinctive Baritone said: "So...according to the article, if she had apologized for the post, she might have been able to keep the job, but she refused??? This girl is in the wrong business."

Yepppp. All it would have took was a half assed "as a christian it is important to love everyone as jesus preaches." and it likely would have blown over.