The Patriot Post® · Houston Cracks Down on Pastors' Dissent

It’s like the First Amendment doesn’t exist in Houston. The city passed an “LGBT equal rights” ordinance in June that also allowed men to use women’s public restrooms, and vice versa. Naturally, the city’s pastors fought back, organizing a petition drive. The city’s government, led by Mayor Annise Parker, who is a lesbian, cracked down on the pastors with subpoenas. Shockingly, the subpoenas ordered pastors to turn over “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession.” The Alliance Defending Freedom has stepped in to fight for the pastors. ADF Senior Legal Council Erik Stanley said, “City council members are supposed to be public servants, not ‘Big Brother’ overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge. In this case, they have embarked upon a witch-hunt, and we are asking the court to put a stop to it.” A church’s non-profit status only forbids it from campaigning for a candidate, not from speaking on issues. The slow march of LGBT “tolerance” laws has slammed into the rights of speech and religion. More…