Evangelist Gets OK to Pursue Civil Rights Suit Against Chicago
by Jim Brown
December 20, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A judge has allowed a Philadelphia evangelist to continue with his lawsuit against the City of Chicago over his arrest during the "Gay Games 2006," which was hosted by the Windy City this summer.
Last July, Repent America's Michael Marcavage was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct outside Chicago's Wrigley Field for holding up a sign that read: "Marriage = One Man + One Woman." Just a few days earlier, two Repent America volunteers were arrested for distributing gospel tracts at Navy Pier during the Gay Games.
Although the city dropped the charges against Marcavage, he filed a civil suit alleging his free exercise of religion and equal protection rights were violated. Now U.S. District Judge Milton Shadur has rejected the city's motion to dismiss the case.
Marcavage is being represented by Chicago attorney Andy Norman. The attorney accuses the city of employing a double standard when it comes to free speech, noting other individuals near his client at the time of the arrest were allowed to hold up pro-homosexual signs and mock President Bush in front of the stadium.
"Michael Marcavage was arrested because the content of his sign -- as opposed to those other people standing near him -- was a message that was perceived as being anti-homosexual," claims Norman, who believes the city trampled the free-speech rights of other Christians evangelizing at the homosexual sporting event.
"The police, as we've alleged, were under directives coming from the mayor as well as one of the higher-ups in the police department to squelch anything that they saw as protest," he states. "And, of course, from our perspective, Michael Marcavage and the other members of Repent America were not protesting at all -- they were just proclaiming the gospel."
Norman is also alleging the city violated the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which took effect in July 1998.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
