This time it’s not an anti-gay sign on a bus making the news.

Minneapolis-St Paul Metro Transit is allowing an employee who says homosexuality is against her religion to refuse to drive any bus that displays an “Unleash Your Inner Gay” Lavender Magazine ad. The employee’s union has objected to Minneapolis-St Paul Metro Transit’s decision.

“The decision has nothing to do with the content of the advertisement,” he said. “It has everything to do with the employee’s religious beliefs,” Metro Transit spokesman Bob Gibbons told the paper.

But the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005 said the decision condones intolerance.

“Our union tries to represent all diversity — whether it be religion, cultural, race, sexual orientation, any of that,” said Michelle Sommers, Local 1005 president.

“We have Muslim employees,” she said. “Now if there’s an ad for alcohol on the side of a bus, should Muslim employees be allowed to not drive that bus? And is the next step that mechanics don’t have to work on the bus?”

Many Muslim taxi drivers at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport already refuse to accept passengers who are carrying alcohol.

Read “Driver Wins Right To Refuse Work On Bus With Gay Ads” here.

You can find Maria on MySpace here. Pick up Queer Shorts, her new anthology, at MergePress.com.