A bivocational Louisiana pastor who works at a public library says he was fired from his job after he refused to use a co-worker’s preferred pronouns.
Luke Ash is the pastor at Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. He’d only been working at the library for a few months when he got fired.
I invited Pastor Ash to appear on my Newsmax television show. He told me that he got in trouble when he referred to a female co-worker as a she – but it turns out she identifies as a he. Watch the interview below and click here to follow my YouTube television channel.
Pastor Ash was reprimanded by his supervisor and the next day he was fired.
“They told me that I didn’t fit the culture and the inclusivity policy was broken by my refusing to use preferred pronouns,” the pastor told me.
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A local gay rights group said Christians are expected to treat the LGBT community with basic decency and the pastor deserved to get fired.
But the pastor is getting significant support from not only high-profile Christians, but also state Republican leaders.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill wrote in a social media post, “This was a public employee in a taxpayer-funded public library. Government can’t force you to violate your conscience or deeply held religious beliefs. In Louisiana, a Christian has rights just like anyone else.”
Gov. Jeff Landry blasted the library’s decision and rightly pointed out that “preferred pronouns don’t exist—only biological ones!”
“Louisianans should never lose their job because they refuse to lie!” Landry said.
Franklin Graham was stunned by the story and praised the pastor for taking such a bold stand.
“God bless him for taking a stand,” Graham said. ” Don’t back down on God’s truth. Pray for Pastor Ash.”
He also urged Pastor Ash to get legal counsel “so that this won’t happen to the next Christian who will not bend on their Biblical beliefs.”
The pastor told me he did not have any regrets about standing up for his religious beliefs.
“As a believer, sometimes we’re going to be faced with decisions, whether or not we are going to follow the rule of man or follow God,” he said on Newsmax. “And when there is an infringement in that respect…you’re gonna have to choose for yourself who you’re going to listen to.”
Either pledge allegiance to the rainbow flag or head to the unemployment line, America. That’s the rule in Baton Rouge. What in the name of Dewey Decimal is going on in Cajun Country?