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Pastor Fired from Job After Ignoring Chosen Pronoun
Pastor Fired from Job After Ignoring Chosen Pronoun

Newsweek

time6 days ago

  • Politics
  • Newsweek

Pastor Fired from Job After Ignoring Chosen Pronoun

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Louisiana pastor said he was fired from his job at a local library after he refused to use a co-worker's preferred pronouns. Luke Ash, the lead pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, said he was sacked from the East Baton Rouge Parish Library after a conversation on July 7. Newsweek has contacted the library and Stevendale Baptist Church, on behalf of Ash, via email, for comment. Why It Matters This incident is part of a broader national debate over the balance between workplace inclusivity policies and individual religious or philosophical beliefs. Libraries, schools and other institutions have implemented policies to create respectful environments for all employees, including protections for those who identify as transgender or non-binary. But some may feel that such policies may conflict with employees' religious beliefs, resulting in disciplinary action or job loss. Similar cases in education and other sectors have led to legal challenges, settlements, and public protests, with some leaping to the defense of religious rights and others emphasizing nondiscrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals. What To Know Ash, who had worked at the library as a technician for less than six months, described the events leading up to his dismissal to the conservative Christian political show Washington Watch with Tony Perkins. He explained that he was talking to a co-worker about a different colleague they were training when he did not use preferred pronouns on July 7. "That co-worker corrected me, said that the person she was training preferred to be called 'he' and I refused to use those preferred pronouns," Ash said. "The next day, I was reprimanded by my supervisor and the head of reference, and Thursday morning, I was fired for it." "I said, I'm not going to lie." Pastor Luke Ash, Lead Pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, shares how he was fired from his job last week at the local library for not using preferred pronouns. — Tony Perkins (@tperkins) July 15, 2025 Ash said he was given the option to use the colleague's preferred pronouns but still did not want to. "I'm not going to lie, I cannot do it," he told Perkins. Ash told ABC Baton Rouge affiliate broadcaster WBRZ-TV that he knew what he did was against the library's code of conduct for employees. Indeed, the policy, reviewed by WBRZ-TV, states that employees have the right to be referred to with their preferred pronouns. What People Are Saying Ash said: "I believe that there are religious convictions and there are other kinds of convictions, and when those things are in contradiction with each other, there has to be given preference for one or the other." Forum for Equality board member Logan Wolf told WBRZ-TV: "You just have to treat someone with basic decency, and I think that's at the crux person willingly violated policies and procedures of the EBR library towards another employee, and I think that's not okay. He's doing this because he wants to be aggrieved, instead of actually being aggrieved, and it's just not right." What Happens Next It is unclear whether Ash plans to pursue legal action against the library for his dismissal. Similar disputes nationally have resulted in lawsuits and public debate over rights and policy enforcement. The outcome of this case could hinge on the interpretation of anti-discrimination and religious freedom statutes in Louisiana and may contribute to ongoing discussions about the balance between workplace inclusivity and individual convictions.

GOP Lawmaker Denounces Supreme Court's Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
GOP Lawmaker Denounces Supreme Court's Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

Newsweek

time24-04-2025

  • Politics
  • Newsweek

GOP Lawmaker Denounces Supreme Court's Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers, a evangelical pastor, said that the Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, is not "settled law," arguing that there is "no right to gay marriage." Newsweek filled out an online contact form for Deevers via the Oklahoma Senate on Thursday. Why It Matters Deevers' comments come amid a broader conservative push in several red states to challenge the legal foundations of same-sex marriage. Conservative lawmakers in five states have introduced various measures encouraging the Supreme Court to strike down Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 decision that established the nationwide right to same-sex marriage. Conservative Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have previously signaled in a court dissent that the case should be reconsidered. Since the Supreme Court's 5-4 Obergefell ruling, the court has shifted to a more conservative majority after President Donald Trump appointed three justices during his first term. The court has also overturned previous decisions, doing so most notably in 2022 regarding the abortion rights established in the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973. A majority of Americans, 67 percent, support same-sex marriage, though a 2024 Gallup poll found Republicans are less likely to back it than Democrats. What To Know On Monday's episode of Washington Watch, a Christian talk radio show with Tony Perkins, Deevers said that "court opinions can be referred to as settled law only if they are rooted firmly in the Constitution, and the heritage and tradition of the American people and the fact is Obergefell is fundamentally antithetical to all of these." He continued, "Ultimately, marriage is not the state's institution, its God's institution." The remarks by Deevers and his legislative agenda underscore a renewed conservative strategy to challenge Obergefell through state-level measures. In January, Deevers introduced the Covenant Marriage Act in Oklahoma, which he said would "give the option to religious citizens of Oklahoma who wanted a more meaningful form of marriage, to opt into a covenant marriage that didn't have a no-fault divorce clause, and it would have given them a tax credit for doing so." Republican Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers poses for a photo on April 9 inside the State Capitol in Oklahoma City. Republican Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers poses for a photo on April 9 inside the State Capitol in Oklahoma City. AP Photo/Sean Murphy The legislation did not pass the judiciary committee earlier this year. June will mark the 10th anniversary of Obergefell. What People Are Saying Sean Meloy, vice president of political programs at the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, told The Guardian in March: "Attacks on fundamental rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, including marriage equality—which was already decided by the highest court and codified into federal law—are hateful distractions." Mat Staver, chairman of the conservative Christian ministry Liberty Counsel, said in a video in February: "There is no so-called constitutional right in the Constitution to same-sex marriage, that's ridiculous," adding that "it's not an if, it's just a matter of when" Obergefell will be overturned. Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, a Democrat, previously told Newsweek: "The Supreme Court wisely recognized in the Obergefell decision that our Constitution guarantees the freedom to marry the person you love, and that fundamental right should not be subject to the anti-LGBTQ biases of a state legislature. The partner you choose is not the government's choice nor should it be. GOP politicians must get out of the business of persecuting their own citizens." Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a video posted on X in March: "In Michigan, everyone has the freedom to marry who they love. It's not only the law of the land, it's a nonnegotiable. Right now, however, some extreme members of the Michigan Legislature are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality. Here's my response to that: 'Hell no.' We've fought a long, hard fight to win marriage equality and we will always protect our family, our friends and neighbors from hateful attacks." President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social, his social media platform, on Easter morning: "We are, together, going to make America bigger, better, stronger, wealthier, healthier, and more religious, than it has ever been before!!! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!" What Happens Next? As more state legislators put forward resolutions calling for the Supreme Court to revisit same-sex marriage, marriage equality is poised to reenter the national political spotlight.

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