TAMPA, Fla. — A Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Christian ministry has filed a discrimination lawsuit against a county transit authority for refusing to accept bus shelter ads promoting a conference on homosexuality and youth.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Jan. 11 against the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority by Mathew Staver of the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel on behalf of Focus on the Family.

Focus on the Family hosted a "Love Won Out" seminar on homosexuality in Brandon, 15 miles east of Tampa, last February. The group prepared ads on "addressing, understanding and preventing homosexuality" in youth.

The ads were rejected, Staver said.

"In this case, the government cannot pick and choose which ads they want and which they don't," Staver said. "They cannot discriminate just because they think the content is controversial."

Roger Sweeney, executive director of the transit authority, hadn't seen the suit on Jan. 12 and had no comment.

The suit states the poster ads initially went up but were removed because of the language and the Christian group received its money back.

Staver says Focus on the Family is not seeking money, but wants a judge to tell the authority to allow similar ads for a seminar the group plans this summer.

"The transit authority and its advertising agency rejected the ad by Focus on the Family solely because the officials disagreed with the content of the message. The First Amendment guarantees free speech," said Staver, president of the Liberty Counsel, a legal organization that takes on free speech and other constitutional issues. "We don't want this to keep happening."