Massachusetts Man Fired for Telling Colleague that Homosexual Behavior Is Wrong

"If homosexual marriage does become legal in your state," warned Vidala, "you could be fired from your job as well, just for expressing your belief that you disagree with that lifestyle."

James Tillman

BOSTON, MA, November 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) -- A deputy manager at a Brookstone retail store in Boston's Logan Airport says he was fired from his job for telling a visiting manager that he believed her homosexual behavior to be wrong.  Brookstone, however, has justified its action by referring to Massachusetts' legalization of same-sex "marriage."

"It was because I expressed my belief that homosexuality is wrong.  That's the reason that I was fired," Peter Vidala told MassResistance.org.

The incident leading to Vidala's termination began when a visiting manager told Vidala that she was getting married.  Vidala congratulated her and asked where he (her husband) was taking her for the honeymoon.  The other manager corrected him, saying "where is she taking me."

"I didn't say anything, I quickly changed the subject, and I kind of went on with the workday," Vidala said.  But the manager continued to repeatedly mention her female 'fiancée' throughout the day.

"It made me uncomfortable because I see that sort of behavior as immoral, personally," Vidala said.  And so when the manager mentioned her "marriage" for what Vidala says was "at least the fourth time," Vidala felt compelled to speak.

"Regarding homosexuality, I believe that that 's bad stuff," Vidala says he told the manager.  He says that he was going to continue by explaining that he would prefer her not to bring it up in the workplace, but she started laughing.

"Get over it.  HR buddy, keep your opinions to yourself," she said.  A few hours later Vidala was suspended; two days later Vidala received a termination letter, which accuses him of "harassment" and of "imposing" his beliefs upon others.

Vidala, however, perceives the situation differently.  He told Fox News that he felt the manager could discern his opinions and that he was "intentionally goaded" by the manager to comment on her relationship.

"She knew how I felt about homosexuality," Vidala said.  "When you talk to someone about something like that, you want their support. She was kind of looking into my eyes for that social cue for me to say, 'I'm happy for you.'  But I really couldn't feel happy for her."

Perhaps more disturbingly, however, Vidala says that Brookstone's letter "cited the fact that so-called homosexual marriage is legal in Massachusetts.  And that's why this superior of mine talking about her fiancée wasn't considered harassing to Brookstone."

"If homosexual marriage does become legal in your state," he warned, "you could be fired from your job as well, just for expressing your belief that you disagree with that lifestyle."

Advocates of homosexual "marriage" have long denied that such legalization would injure those who believe homosexual behavior to be wrong.  Vidala's case, however, adds to a growing list of instances that seem to indicate the opposite. 

For instance, homosexual behavior is taught as normative in Massachussets schools. Parents Robb and Robin Wirthlin lost a case against the school after their 2nd-grade son was taught about homosexual behavior without their permission.

Even in states such as New Mexico, where same-sex "marriage" is not legal, a husband-and-wife photography company was successfully sued for refusing to photograph a homosexual commitment ceremony.  Similarly, a Methodist association in New Jersey was stripped of its tax-exempt status for part of its property by refusing to allow a homosexual "couple" to use its pavilion for a civil union ceremony.

Vidala was also disturbed by a video Brookstone shows to all new employees to help illustrate its personnel policies.  According to Vidala, in it a man who describes himself as gay says that he was offended by overhearing another man say, "Well, gee, you know, I'd be uncomfortable if a homosexual hit on me."

Vidala continued: "You could have a so-called homosexual person hit on you [if you work for Brookstone], and you won't be able to say anything, because by expressing your belief that what they're doing is wrong, you're harassing them."