I have said before that the gay rights activists do not want to be left alone. They want acceptance of their lifestyle. They want approval that their sexual choices are not only “not-wrong” but that they are actually morally correct. I even alluded to the civil prosecution of those businesses who declined to participate in the homosexual agenda. But it has gone beyond that now. I have referred to the gay rights lobby as the “gaystapo” (which is a portmanteau of “gay” and “Gestapo,” the Nazi secret police). I refer to them as such because they are acting like the Gestapo, forcing people to “toe the party line” so to speak.  And amid the many examples of this today we have the worst case so far, from the Lone Star State.

In Houston, Texas, it is now illegal to speak out against homosexuality. Those of you who think that this isn’t a bad thing, let me remind you about a thing called the “First Amendment.” Here is the text:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

What Houston did goes directly against two of the six clauses in this amendment: Freedom of religion and freedom of speech. And then they even rejected the sixth: the right to petition for redress of grievances. Let me give you a timeline of the events surrounding this case, and how it led to this unconstitutional act by the city of Houston.

May 28, 2014: The Houston City Council passed the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (aka, the “Bathroom bill”), or HERO, in an 11-6 vote, whereupon it was promptly signed into law by Mayor Annise Parker, a lesbian. Why do I bring up her sexual orientation? Because she has stated that the HERO is, “all about me.”

July 3, 2014: Opponents of the HERO turned in a petition with over 55,000 signatures from residents of Houston who want to repeal the bill. The opponents only needed 17,269 signatures. The petition would move the issue to a city-wide referendum to be added to the ballot in November.

August 4th, 2014: Mayor Annise Parker (lesbian) and other city officials stated that there were “too many irregularities among the signatures,” thereby rejecting the repeal request. They threw out whole pages of signatures, bringing the total down to 15,249, a mere 2,020 signatures short. This means they threw out about 40,000 signatures.

August 5th, 2014: The opponents of the HERO filed suit in state court to have the signature verification process reviewed.

August 6th, 2014: The City of Houston removed the suit from state court and sent it to federal court, a move that could affect the outcome in their favor, since the state of Texas is more conservative than the federal courts.

August 7th, 2014: US District Judge Gray Miller remanded the suit from federal court back to state court.

September 10th: The City of Houston issued subpoenas to a number of Houston-area pastors, in which the pastors are required by law to turn in any communications they have regarding the HERO, including, “All speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession.” In other words, if pastors have spoken out from the pulpit against homosexuality, these pastors must turn those sermons in. (Full text of one of the subpoenas here.)

So you see, we’ve come to the point where churches are being forced by the government to surrender any and all materials in which they spoke out against homosexuality. I don’t know how this situation is going to be resolved, but I will say that it is merely a symptom of the future in this country. I foresee a time in which churches that openly affirm biblical morality (including the proscription against homosexuality) will be forced to close. We’re not there yet, but this situation in Houston tells me that the people who want us to get to that point are here already, and they are gaining strength.