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CHRIS JOHNSON
Friday, August 08, 2008
A
commission
in
Alexandria,
Va.,
is
calling
on
the
city
to
levy
a
$5,000
penalty
on
the
company
that
owns
TGI
Friday’s
for
allegedly
firing
a
gay
employee
for
being
HIV
positive.
The
recommendation
is
part
of
a
report
released
by
the
city’s
Human
Rights
Commission
late
last
month.
The
document
says
the
commission
unanimously
decided
June
30
that
Carlson
Restaurants
violated
Alexandria’s
Human
Rights
Code
by
firing
James
McCray
from
his
position
as
general
manager
at
a
TGI
Friday’s
in
Alexandria.
McCray,
a
39-year-old
Wood-bridge,
Va.,
resident,
has
separately
said
he
plans
to
file
a
federal
lawsuit
against
Carlson
Restaurants
for
violating
the
Americans
with
Disabilities
Act,
which
protects
people
who
are
HIV
positive.
McCray
said
the
commission’s
report
enabled
him
“to
get
some
vindication
on
paper.”
“My
attorney
presented
the
case
in
a
way
that
obviously
there
was
no
other
option
but
for
them
to
decide
with
us,”
he
said.
McCray
said
he
is
still
discussing
with
his
attorney
when
he
will
file
his
lawsuit.
Tony
Castrilli,
an
Alexandria
city
spokesperson,
said
City
Manager
James
Hartmann
is
reviewing
the
report
and
has
not
yet
decided
on
whether
he
will
comply
with
the
commission’s
recommendation.
Amy
Freshwater,
a
spokes-person
for
Carlson
Restaurants,
said
her
company
was
aware
of
the
commission’s
report
and
had
not
yet
determined
how
it
will
respond.
McCray
lost
his
job
at
TGI
Friday’s
on
July
26,
2006.
McCray
said
the
company
fired
him
the
day
after
he
disclosed
he
has
HIV.
The
company
has
countered
that
McCray
was
terminated
because
of
concerns
with
restaurant
operations
and
his
integrity.
U.S.
Sen.
Jim
Webb
(D-Va.)
has
joined
the
chorus
of
officials
calling
for
a
review
of
the
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell”
policy,
saying
there
should
be
a
“more
workable
balance”
than
the
current
situation.
Webb
said
July
21
on
PBS’
“Charlie
Rose”
that
officials
“should
take
a
look”
at
the
law
that
bars
openly
gay
people
from
serving
in
the
armed
forces,
but
added
that
he
did
not
“know
where
we
might
end
up”
as
a
result
of
the
review.
The
senator
said
there
are
“two
different
situations”
in
addressing
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell.”
“The
first
is
the
considerations
of
close
quarters
in
the
operational
military,”
he
said.
“We
have
to
listen
to
people
and
hear
that
through.”
Webb
said
the
second
situation
is
“the
reality”
that
there
are
a
number
of
gay
people
in
the
U.S.
military
“who
want
a
career.”
Charlie
Rose,
the
show’s
host,
added
to
Webb’s
comments
that
“all
those
who
have
probably
served
without
anybody
knowing
have
served
courageously.”
“Absolutely,”
Webb
responded.
State
Del.
Adam
Ebbin
(D-Alexandria),
the
only
openly
gay
lawmaker
in
the
Virginia
General
Assembly,
said
he
was
encouraged
that
Webb
sees
the
need
for
review
and
recognizes
there
are
talented
gay
people
in
the
military.
Ebbin,
who
also
serves
as
spokesperson
for
Servicemembers
Legal
Defense
Network,
which
seeks
to
overturn
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell,”
said
he
is
hopeful
that
Webb
will
eventually
“acknowledge
the
need
for
full
repeal
and
a
law
to
forbid
discrimination.”
Former
Gov.
Mark
Warner,
the
Democratic
candidate
for
Virginia’s
open
U.S.
Senate
seat,
also
recently
called
for
a
review
of
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell,”
but
said
he
currently
supports
the
policy.
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