Norfolk Police in England are being taken to an Employment Tribunal as a decorated officer is fighting for his job after being forced to choose between his conscience and his career.PC Graham Cogman, 49, has already been fined £1,200 by a disciplinary committee and now faces the possibility of losing his job, after the force condemned his publicising of Christian views of homosexuality despite encouraging gay celebrations.
In 2006 he was pressurised to wear the pink ribbon in support of Gay History Month as the station was filled with gay literature and posters as a gay pub quiz night was advertised.
As a policeman charged with the defence of the freedom of speech, Mr Cogman sent around an email reminding his colleagues of Christian beliefs to balance the propaganda.
He said: “The blatant support for homosexual rights in Norfolk Police makes being a Christian officer extremely difficult. I am not undertaking this action lightly but I have to make a stand when things become so blatantly biased against me just because I hold a faith.
The following year he was upset by being forced to wear a rainbow ribbon, which for him symbolised the faithfulness of a God who sees intra-gender sex as a sin.
He was then interrogated after creating a screensaver for his computer which included Biblical text: “‘Jesus is the light of the world, only the enemy kills, steals and destroys.”
The father-of-two, who has served with the Norfolk Police for 15 years after 12 years with the RAF, has twice been commended by his force for his loyalty and diligence.
Now he admits: “We get more flak from inside the force than outside these days.
He has now sought the support of the Christian Legal Centre, and is being represented by barrister Paul Diamond who defended Nadia Eweida, the British Airways employee who was suspended for wearing a Christian cross to work.
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