The Washington Times (‘Firm sues county over order to copy gay films’ Sat. June 10, 2006) reports an Arlington businessman is suing country officials who ‘ordered’ him to reproduce homosexual-themed videos.
Mr. Tim Bono has a core values web page for his business that states – “No content should embarass our empolyeses or tarnish our reputation. 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.” (www.bonofilm.com)
On April 13, 2006 the Arlington Human Rights Commission upheld a complaint and ordered Mr. Bono to duplicate the films at the Miss Vincent’s (the accuser) expense or pay for another company to provide the service. Miss Vincent said Mr. Bono’s father had previously copied the same videos without objection.
The Liberty Counsel pro-bono attorney said the county doesn’t have the authority to investigate claims about sexual orientation based on the Dillon Rule. The Commonwealth doesn’t recognize discrimination based on sexual orientation, so the County can’t either.
This will be interesting. Mr. Bono didn’t discriminate against Miss Vincent because he didn’t know her sexual orientation. How could he know? He didn’t discriminate even if he knew and cared about her sexual behavior preferences, because homosexuals are not a ‘protected class of persons’ in the Virginia code. Or maybe the Virginia legal language just addresses individual rights not being discriminated against on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin or gender. I don’t know the specifics.
I look forward to the Thought Police losing in court. Mr. Bono’s professional standards for his private business are straightforward. He shouldn’t be required to violate his ethical principles. Miss Vincent can have her films reproduced elsewhere in this free Country and Commonwealth. Mr. Bono should have a chat with his father about their standards.
What is the legal authority of Commissions in the Commonwealth to decide due process, find guilt and make punishments? Any word from our loyal lawyers?