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Arlington Christian Business Attacked by Lesbian Activist through Human Rights Commission

by Hilary White

ARLINGTON, Va. April 27, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Concerned Women for America has highlighted the case of a Christian business that has been ordered to produce material that supports homosexual activity. An Arlington Va. video duplicator has been ordered by the Arlington County Human Rights Commission to produce video material for a lesbian activist.

The video duplicator, Bono Film and Video, cited the constitutionally guaranteed right of freedom of religion to defend his decision to refuse business to lesbian activist, Lillian Vincenz. The proprietor, Tim Bono, argued that he could not, in conscience, produce material that promoted homosexual activity.

Bono Film & Video informs every potential customer that it does not duplicate material that it may deem obscene, or that may embarrass employees, tarnish its reputation, or that runs counter to the company’s Christian and ethical values. This caveat is posted on their website.

“No pornography. No sexually explicit material. No content promoting violence or hate that runs counter to our Christian and ethical values. We will not debate the merits of your material if it crosses our line. If and when material is encountered that contains obscene, pornographic, "cult-ish,"  demonic, or senseless gratuitous violent scenes, all work will cease and the client will be responsible for all work that has been performed to-date on the project.”

When Bono declined Vincenz’s business, Vincenz went to the Human Rights Commission to make a complaint of discrimination based on “sexual orientation.” The videos Vincenz wanted duplicated were, two documentaries entitled: “Gay and Proud” and “Second Largest Minority”.

According to the website of the Arlington County Human Rights Commission, it has the power to seek enforcement of its decisions in the courts if a resolution cannot be found.

The Family Policy Network, (FPN), a Christian activist organization, is calling on Christians who “feel the ‘Human Rights Commission’ poses a threat to their religious liberties,” to join a class action lawsuit against Arlington county.

According to Raul Torres, executive director of the Human Rights Commission, as of April 25th, neither Bono nor Vincenz has responded to a summons to a meeting to “discuss” the alleged “discrimination.”

In Canada, Christians have lost several important cases brought against them by homosexual activists despite the fact that religious freedom is an explicitly protected right in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, homosexual practices are nowhere specifically protected, and the term “sexual orientation” remains undefined in Canadian law.

In the Brockie case, in February 2000, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ruled that Printer Scott Brockie had violated the ban on “sexual orientation” discrimination in the Ontario Human Rights Code for declining to print letterhead for a homosexual activist group. He was ordered to pay $5,000 in damages to the president of the Archives and to “henceforth print materials for any homosexual individual or group on the same basis as all other clients.”

By the time it was all over, Scott Brockie had amassed nearly Can. $100,000 in legal fees and was ordered to pay the costs, an additional $40,000, for the complainant

FPN President Joe Glover said, “The county's involvement in this anti-Christian, pro-homosexual witch-hunt isn't just a crime against one businessman; it's a heavy-handed threat to turn the government against Christians who want to live their lives according to Scripture.”

“Even if they can't win a case like this on the merits, they're out to strike fear in the hearts of Christians who want to live according to their faith.”

To contact the Family Policy Network:

Washington, DC: (202) 470-5095
FAX: (202) 470-5095

P.O. Box 1199
Forest, VA,
USA
24551

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