ACLU Defends Homophobic Preacher
Posted on | January 12, 2006
The American Civil Liberties Union is one of the favorite targets of conservatives. They whine, piss, and moan because the ACLU is a real defender of freedom in this nation unlike the Bush apologists who rabidly the usurping of civil liberties in the name of national security and what not. They liken the organization as a pack of Bolshevik revolutionaries bent on reducing the US to a communist state all they want but I think today they prove that they really are the defenders of everyone be they liberal, conservative, or something else.
While some gay activists/bloggers, myself included, jumped on the case, the ACLU is questioning the arrest of South Tulsa Baptist Church minister Lonnie Latham on charges of soliciting a police officer. Latham claimed he was out ministering to people on the street. The ACLU is challenging the arrest on the grounds of the landmark Lawrence v Texas case where the Supreme Court overturned the Texas anti-sodomy laws and deemed private sexual activities between consenting adults was protected under the constitution. Since Latham apparently only made an offer and not any actual attempt to give/receive oral sex from the officer, the ACLU argues that his behavior, assuming he did proposition the officer, is akin to someone picking up someone at a bar. As long as the sexual activity was conducted in private, between consenting adults, and is not part of prostitution outside of Nevada, no crime was committed.
If that is the case, then I do hope Latham walks because it does set a dangerous precedent. I remember back in the days when the local stations would have the "bag-a-fag" runs where they would do these "shocking" reports on public gay sex in parks/bathrooms/etc. However the Oklahoma City Prosecutor will not drop the charges on those grounds so hopefully the judge will listen to reason.
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January 12th, 2006 @ 3:59 pm
Just a clarification… the ACLU of Oklahoma has only issued a statement saying that it thinks the legality of Latham’s arrest is very questionable. That’s not at all the same thing as representing him in court, which the wording of your headline implies.
I think the ACLU probably *would* consider representing Latham (if he’d let us!), but that’s not an accurate representation of what’s happening right now.
Chris Hampton
Public Education Associate
ACLU Lesbian & Gay Rights and AIDS Projects
January 12th, 2006 @ 4:03 pm
Thank you for correcting that Chris. I rechecked the article on 365Gay and the way it was written implied that Mack Martin was with the ACLU.
I apologize for the confusion.