Monday, November 3, 2014

Red Cross volunteer, 71, axed over gay marriage protest

 Bryan Barkley, who staged a solo protest against same sex marriage in March  

A volunteer has been dismissed from the British Red Cross for protesting against gay marriage.

Bryan Barkley, 71, was told he is no longer welcome at the charity because his views are incompatible with its values.

The church-going pensioner received his dismissal letter after holding a one-man protest outside his local cathedral.

He held up a placard saying ‘No same sex marriage’ and ‘No redefinition of marriage’.

Yesterday his supporters said the charity’s action was shocking and it was punishing volunteers for their thoughts and views.

Mr Barkley, who has worked for 20 years as a senior Red Cross volunteer, is appealing against his dismissal which he calls ‘unfair and without justification’.

The grandfather, who has been married for 42 years, joined the organisation after taking early retirement from his job as a civil engineer and had recently represented it at a Buckingham Palace garden party.

10 comments:

  1. Oh to live in England where any young man can grow up to be a Queen. Stick to your guns Sir Barkley. (Oh wait they dont have guns. Chin up Sir)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks like the Red Cross is taking their operating instructions from the United Way, i.e. pay you executives high 6 or 7 figure salaries and gut the organizations ability to provide the services they were created to provide. Okrathief

    ReplyDelete
  3. Poor guy - good luck finding a non-PC suck-up organization to volunteer for. I never donate to Red Cross because so little gets to the people who need the help - try to find another way to donate directly to a local charity or church - Here is another opinion on the matter after H-Katrina:
    http://www.damninteresting.com/retired/can-we-trust-the-red-cross/

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't donate to Red Cross or United Way either. Employers would almost
    force employees to sign a pledge to have money docked from ones paycheck
    every pay period, usually every 2 weeks. I mean, it was like strong arming.
    What does the employer get out of this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Employers would almost force employees to sign a pledge to have money docked from ones paycheck every pay period, usually every 2 weeks.

      Didn't know that and very disheartening.

      Delete
  5. I bet if this moral man was out there picketing FOR gay marriages, he'd get a
    raise.

    ReplyDelete