Pay attention here. Sometimes evil dresses itself up to look good. Remember that now.

Justice is served

Court rules in favor of T shirt

A federal appeals court is upholding a student's right to wear a T-shirt that promotes a Christian viewpoint on the issue of homosexuality.

One day after the pro-homosexual "Day of Silence" in 2007, administrators at Neuqua Valley, Illinois, High School ordered senior Heidi Zamecnik to cover the message "Be Happy, Not Gay" on her T-shirt -- although students had been allowed to wear T-shirts with messages celebrating homosexuality the previous day.

But Attorney Nate Kellum with the Alliance Defense Fund says Heidi and another plaintiff, Alex Nuxoll, are pleased with the decision from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow such shirts. "He's able to use the T-shirt stating, 'Be Happy, Not Gay,' as a way of communicating his firm Christian belief that homosexual behavior does not lead to happiness," says Kellum.

Kellum notes public school officials have to understand that if they allow some students to publicly express their viewpoint on an issue, they must allow other students to voice differing opinions on the same topic.

"Up and until this relief that we received from the court, Alex was not able to share the Christian viewpoint on this very important issue," he clarifies, "even though you had a whole day set aside -- called the 'Day of Silence' -- in which the school would actually support a message promoting homosexual behavior," Kellum admonishes.

The case is important, says Kellum, because a similar lawsuit is working its way back through the federal courts in California. In that case, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled that a student did not have the right to wear a T-shirt opposing homosexual behavior on religious grounds. But the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the 9th Circuit decision.

The victory in the 7th Circuit could establish the legal controversy needed to obtain a favorable ruling in the California case from the nation's highest court.

Editor's note: I am actually in shock that a federal appeals court would do this. Let's pray that this victory in the 7th Cicuit will be the model for other courts to follow in the future. That plus the fact that the Supreme Court vacated the decision of the 9th Circuit. A shimmer of sunlight is showing through the Gay platform.