"The genuine civil rights movement," Barber wrote in his Tuesday column, "has been hijacked, and Crystal Dixon has paid dearly for trying to take it back for the African-American community where it rightfully belongs."

Crystal Dixon wrote the column in the Toledo Free Press criticizing the LGBT community, saying that, while she didn't "choose" to be black, gays "choose" to be gay, and, she contends, also have the ability to change their sexuality. Dixon argued that the "choice" to be gay, and the repercussions thereof, do not constitute a civil rights struggle like that which the African-American community has faced. To bolster her claim with "irrefutable" economic data, Dixon compared the disparity between the median salary of a gay man with a Bachelor's degree ($83,000) to that of a black man without a degree ($30,539).

Dixon, Associate Vice President of Human Resources at the University of Toledo, was put on paid leave on discovery of the article. Her employment was terminated last Friday, after she refused to take a pay cut and demotion to stay on.

"The public position Ms. Dixon took in the Toledo Free Press is in direct contradiction to University policies and procedures," said spokesman Lawrence J. Burns, "as well as the institutional core values as defined in our strategic plan, and called into question her continued ability to lead a critical function within the administration as personnel actions or decisions taken in her capacity as associate vice president for human resources could be challenged or placed at risk."

"I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a Black woman," Dixon wrote. "I am genetically and biologically a Black woman and very pleased to be so as my Creator intended. Daily, thousands of homosexuals make a life decision to leave the gay lifestyle evidenced by the growing population of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex Gays) and Exodus International just to name a few."

"God created humans with an inalienable right to choose," Dixon went on. "There are consequences for each of our choices, including those who violate God's divine order. It is base human nature to revolt and become indignant when the world or even God Himself, disagrees with our choice that violates His divine order.

"Daily," she concluded, "Jesus Christ is radically transforming the lives of both straight and gay folks and bringing them into a life of wholeness: spiritually, psychologically, physically and even economically. That is the ultimate right."

"It appears like, on issues that President Jacobs feels strong about, we're allowed to agree with him or be silent," said UT colleague Doug Oliver to WTVG.

University of Toledo president Dr. Lloyd Jacobs, on May 2, wrote a clarification in response to Dixon's April 18 piece, expressing his support for pending pro-LGBT legislation and stating that Dixon's views did not match those of the University.

"The University of Toledo welcomes, supports and places value upon persons of every variety," Jacobs wrote. "Disability, race, age or sexual orientation are not included in any decision making process nor the evaluation of worth of any individual at this university. To the extent that appearances may exist which are contrary to this value statement, we will continue to do everything in our power to align all of our actions every day with the value system discussed.

"We will be taking certain internal actions in this instance to more fully align our utterances and actions with this value system."

Dixon and Barber contend that Dixon's firing is a violation of her First Amendment rights, and that she was unfairly targeted as a black Christian. Dixon, a UT alumnus, plans to sue the university on these grounds, also citing a "lack of courageous leadership."

President Jacobs, in an act of "anti-Christian bigotry and intolerance," "overtly and shamelessly discriminated against Crystal Dixon, a black, Christian employee, because of her constitutionally protected, factually based and popularly held viewpoint relative to — ironically — civil rights," Barber said. "Understandably, many in the Christian and African-American communities are outraged."

"Dixon," Barber continued, "addressed the false comparisons often made between the genuine and very worthy civil rights movement and efforts by militant homosexual activists to gain special rights based upon aberrant sexual preferences. Many African-Americans take great exception to such specious and offensive comparisons, and Dixon was no exception."

"I absolutely respect their right to disagree," Dixon told WTVG about people who have spoken out against her statements. "Again: They are citizens. They can voice their opinion. I'm a citizen as well, and I ought to be able to voice my opinion."

"I've practiced human resources for 25+ years," she says when asked about any conflict her moral beliefs would have with her work at UT. "I have provided outstanding service to individuals regardless of of their sexual orientation. I have hired heterosexuals and homosexuals in my 25 years practicing as a human resources person, so I think it speaks for itself."