A UK man was demoted over comments he
made on Facebook against gay marriage.
A 2011 BBC story on the British
government's plans to extend marriage rights to gay and lesbian
couples prompted Adrian Smith, 55, to comment on the issue.
Smith described it as “an equality
too far.”
“I don't understand why people who
have no faith and don't believe in Christ want to get hitched in a
church … the Bible is quite specific that marriage is for men and
women. ...”
Smith's comments were not visible to
the general public and were posted on his own time.
His employer of nearly 20 years,
Trafford Housing Trust (THT), demoted Smith from manager to rent
collector and his salary was cut by 40 percent, the
BBC reported.
On Friday, Smith won a breach of
contract action against his employer in which he claimed that THT
acted unlawfully in demoting him.
“Something has poisoned the atmosphere
in Britain, where an honest man like me can be punished for making
perfectly polite remarks about the importance of marriage,” Smith
said in a statement. “I am fearful that, if marriage is redefined,
there will be more cases like mine – and if the law of marriage
changes people like me may not win in court.”
The court awarded Smith approximately
$158.
THT officials have not said whether
Smith can have his old job back.