Christian Group Settles With Fla. Transit

A conservative Christian group will be permitted to promote its anti-homosexuality conference on bus shelter ads under a settlement reached in a federal lawsuit, the group said Tuesday.

Focus on the Family had sued the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority over its refusal to advertise the February 2000 "Love Won Out" conference, which promoted a theory that homosexuality can be "prevented" or overcome through prayer and religious practice.

The group, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., was refunded nearly $5,000 it paid to have posters installed in bus shelters before the seminar. It sued, arguing the government cannot limit advertising because it fears the message might offend some people.

Under the settlement, the bus system and its sign contractor refined their policies to allow the signs when the seminar comes to the area again next year, said Mathew D. Staver, a lawyer for Focus on the Family.

The settlement did not include monetary damages, he said. The sign contractor, Clear Channel Outdoor, was not named in the suit.

Representatives of the transit authority and Clear Channel did not return calls seeking comment.

While private companies can usually reject advertising they do not want, the question in this case was whether a government entity working through a private company could do so.

Tom Minnery, vice president of Focus on the Family, said he was pleased with the settlement, adding that "we look forward to coming to the Tampa area again and advertising our conference fully."

About 27,000 people have attended 30 such conferences in cities around the country, Minnery said. Pinellas County was the only place where conference ads were banned, he said.