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| Medical malpractice attorney John Carroll |
In a gracious email courageously outing himself as an AKSARBENT reader (our deepest sympathies) and commending our efforts, John Carroll referred us to his correspondence to NU regarding Lincoln resident and NU football Assistant Coach Ron Brown's sermonette to the Omaha City Council last week regarding proposed LGBT protection. Below is Carroll's email and Athletic Director Tom Osborne's response.
AKSARBENT first raised the issue of Brown's stated address here, and then noted here that other proponents and opponents of the Omaha measure also used their work addresses. Of course, the final word on the use of a business/institution address would lie with said business or institution.
Another opponent of Omaha's LGBT protection measure who substituted his professional address for his residential address was Lincoln psychologist Edward Stringham who has urged the Board of Mental Health Practice to allow those psychologists who refuse to treat gay patients to also be able to refuse them referrals.
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From: John F Carroll
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 1:08 PM
Subject: Coach Ron Brown
Coach Osborne and Coach Pelini:
My name is John F. Carroll. I am a season ticket holder of four seats in the North End Zone. Yesterday, I witnessed a depressing moment. Coach Brown drove to Omaha, from Lincoln where he lives, to speak out against the City of Omaha's proposed ordinance protecting gays and gender identity.
He started his statement with, “Hi, my name is Ron Brown. I live in One Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, NE. That's not really my home but it is where I spend most of my time.”
As a gay Christian (that bleeds all things Big Red), and a long time season ticket holder that comes with a $1,000 dollar donation each year, I really felt betrayed by Coach Brown's comments. I am no stranger to this type of rhetoric. I was shocked to hear Coach Brown tie Memorial Stadium to his anti-gay statements.
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| Carroll was the eighth person voted off the island on Survivor: Marquesas |
I am all for free speech. There are limits when a representative like Coach Brown who is associated with the University exercises his first amendment rights and states that his address is Memorial Stadium. I get that it was an attempt at humor; I can assure you that many gay and straight husker fans did not find it funny.
As you are aware, the University is comprised of all types of various colors, genders, ages, religions, and yes, people of different sexual orientations and gender identities. While Coach Brown's fight for his civil rights, is waning, the rights of gays and lesbians are far from secure. To hear Coach Brown, a representative of the University of Nebraska, use God and Jesus to argue against providing gays and lesbians protection from people that would harm them in the work place is beyond the pale. It makes me wonder what would happen if one of the football players came out. Would he bench them? Would he recommend kicking them off the team? I know former players that are gay. Has the University ever once asked them what it was like hiding in plain sight?
With all that young gay kids are facing today, having Coach Brown stand up in a public forum and call them sinners, made me sick to my stomach. I have not been this angry about this issue in a very long time. I know there are plenty of people in the athletic department that embrace diversity and tolerance, the kind that includes gays, but that doesn't mitigate the affect that Coach Brown's comments could have on the program.
Mr. Brown's veiled threat was particularly galling, "The question I have for you, like Pontius Pilate, is: 'What are you going to do with Jesus?' For those of you on this council who have a relationship with Christ, and only you know if you do, you will be held to great accountability for the decision you make."
Coach Brown is a religious bully and has a history of using the University as his pulpit all the while disguising it as “motivational speaking.” No one can deny the impact that Coach Brown has had on young men from tough backgrounds. However, that cannot come at the expense of other kids, namely gay and transgendered kids.
The hypocrisy is that if Coach Brown worked in Omaha today, he could never be fired from his job on the basis of his race, gender or religious affiliation. He could be if he was gay or his boss found out he used to be a woman.
If Mr. Brown insists on exercising his first amendment rights all the while spewing anti-gay rhetoric and threats of eternal damnation, please have him use his own address in the future. We should never hear in a public forum the words Memorial Stadium and sinner in the same speech.
Thank you for your time.
GO BIG RED!
John F. Carroll
Omaha, NE
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From: Anne Hackbart
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2012 12:21 PM
To: John F Carroll
Subject: RE: Coach Ron Brown
Dear John,
I'm sorry that you've been offended by Ron Brown's comments. I can assure you that Ron's comments are reflective of his own views and do not represent those of the Athletic Department or the University.
His listing his address as One Memorial Stadium was not in keeping with what we would expect and I have addressed this with him.
Thank you for taking time to write.
Best wishes,
Tom Osborne
Tom Osborne | Athletic Director
University of Nebraska Athletics
One Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE 68588-0120
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From: John F Carroll
Date: March 8, 2012 12:37:33 PM CST
Subject: FW: Coach Ron Brown
Here is my response:
Coach Osborne:
I appreciate the quick response. I know that it is a tough issue for everyone. Until the Good Lord comes down and tells us what the real deal is, none of us really know. All I can tell you is that I have known I was gay since grade school. The fact that I kicked Barbie out of the dream house and moved GI Joe in with Ken gave my parents a big clue.
Wishing you nothing but the best.
Respectfully,
John F. Carroll
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