Christian bus driver fired after refusing to drive Calgary ‘Gay Pride bus’
A Calgary bus driver who is a faithful Christian and married
father of two children has been fired from his job after stating publicly last
week that he would refuse to drive a city bus decked out by his employer to
promote the city’s Gay ‘Pride’ festival.
“They called me in and read me a statement saying that I would
no longer be working for them,” Jesse Rau, former Calgary Transit Authority
employee, told LifeSiteNews in an exclusive interview.
Two weeks ago Calgary Transit unveiled a “Pride Bus” it had
specially decorated with a rainbow paint job to promote the city’s Calgary
Pride Festival. A large banner on the side of the bus states: “Ride with Pride”
and provides the dates for the celebration of homosexuality, something that
Christians believe is a deviation from God’s plan for human sexuality.
Rau came out publicly last week saying that he would refuse to
drive the bus if it were put on his route since he wanted no part in promoting
what he said was a “very radical sexual movement” that went against his
Christian beliefs.
"As a Christian I believe in the Bible as being the Word of
God, and it teaches that sexual immorality is sin. I don't want to have any
part in promoting behaviors and lifestyles that put people in more trouble with
God than they already are, and that create more brokenness and despair in their
lives," he said at that time.
Rau says Calgary Transit questioned him for 5 hours on Wednesday
with what he called “very trapping questions.”
“They were trying to trip me. For 5 hours I played the game
because I wanted to keep my job. But they had obviously already made their
decision. And the next day (Thursday) around noon early in the morning, they
fired me.”
He said the meeting felt more like an interrogation where he was
asked questions unrelated to work duties, but rather relating to his personal
beliefs and even the opinions of others who had commented on his Facebook wall.
At a meeting yesterday, Rau said he was accused by his employer
of misleading the public into believing that he could be fired from his job for
refusing to drive the ‘Pride bus’ and for posting what his employer called —
according to Rau — “anti-fascist” pictures on his personal Facebook page.
“One picture was directed against the ‘rainbow flag’ movement,
indicating how it had turned into a fascist movement, and they didn’t like
that,” Rau said.
Rau said he was “shocked” at the reasons given for him being
fired.
“None of their concerns related to my work. On the contrary,
prior to this issue, I was told that, due to my good work performance, I was
supervisor material. To go from awaiting promotion to facing joblessness simply
for standing for my Christian faith in a supposedly free country is horrible,”
he said.
Rau told LifeSiteNews that he has no chance of appealing the
decision since he was nearing the end of a year-long probation period that he
had not yet completed. But he is not wavering in his trust in God, he said, but
is turning to God for strength to get through this time. He already sees God
working through this difficult situation with a prophetic message for
Canadians.
“I think this has become a very beautiful opportunity for
Canadians to see just how this sexual ideological movement is pushing its views
on people, and how Christians and others who have different views are now the
victims. This movement is now taking measures that are offensive to almost
everyone to force compliance with this movement,” he said.
Artur Pawlowski, Rau's pastor, told LifeSiteNews that what
happened to Rau indicates how the homosexual movement brooks no dissent when it
comes to differing views.
“Yesterday they were coming for the politicians, judges, and
doctors, today they are coming for the bus drivers, clerks and bakers,” said
Pawlowski who comes from Poland and runs Street Church in Calgary.
“Believe me, I grew up in a country (Poland) like ours has
become, and I can tell you tomorrow the communists/fascists/dictators are
coming for you. Will you let them?”
A vigil for Rau and his family organized by Street Church is scheduled for October 10 in Calgary. Those
interested in financially supporting Rau and his family during this time can make a donation through Street Church’s website using Paypal.
Donations should be tagged with a note “Support for Rau and his family.”
