this post was submitted on 03 Jun 2026
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Department of Public Works employee Eric Batman claims that having to see a Progress Pride flag flying outside the department’s Alhambra, California, headquarters during the month of June effectively forces him to “celebrate, recognize, and solemnize conduct and actions that he views as sin” in conflict with his sincerely held Christian religious beliefs, according to a lawsuit filed in March by anti-LGBTQ+ evangelical nonprofit the Liberty Counsel.

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[–] AlteredEgo@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

I think that's the wrong and dangerous argument. It's a typical liberal talking point... for example, allowing people to constantly spew lies and inciting people to racial hatred works in creating and recruiting more racists. Or misogynists. We've seen it over and over again. If you tolerate intolerance you soon find your tolerance vanishing.

THAT should be what the argument should be about. Their religion of hate is intolerance, and shouldn't be tolerated, or in this case, not have any standing to sue for offending and injuring your "human dignity". There is no conflict there.

But we need to go even further than that to prevent those with the most amount of money and power to deform the reality we are able to perceive. All humans should have a fundamental "right to reality". Not being locked up in a simulation, and not presented by news or social media that shows an objectively wrong reality, or where you can't perceive what is science and what is woo. Politicians shouldn't be allowed to outright lie and face severe consequences for such behavior.

The principle behind freedom of speech is that democracy needs people to be able to understand the world they live in without the state or state-like entities like plutocrats being able to prevent important information and truth to be published. This has been completely perverted and speech has become a commodity, easily controlled. "They" control the agenda and call it free speech. Liberals need to understand that no principle can be pushed to the extreme. You have to look at the consequences and history. We know hate speech causes more fascists, we know lies cause subversion and destruction of democracy.