January 23, 2006 | 12:40 AM

In another victory for Repent America (RA), the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has lost his attempt to stop RA's legal challenge against an addition to the state's thought crimes law.

The lawsuit challenges the unconstitutional actions of the legislature by illegally amending a bill seeking to prohibit the destruction of farm property, to add language to protect individuals victimized from crime on the basis of "actual or perceived . . . ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity."

On December 22, 2005, a three judge panel in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania unanimously ruled in favor of Repent America by rejecting all of the Commonwealth parties' preliminary objections to the lawsuit. Subsequently, Speaker John M. Perzel (R) decided to fight against the decision by filing a motion for reargument, but his application was denied by Commonwealth Court President Judge James Gardner Collins.

In October of 2004, the law called "Ethnic Intimidation" was used to charge and jail eleven Christians with Repent America for ministering the Gospel at a publicly-funded homosexual event in Philadelphia. RA's legal challenge against the legislature is now headed to trial with the hope and intention of eliminating this law that has been used, and will be used again, to silence the Gospel message.

Click here to view a copy of the lawsuit.