Hundreds gather to protest Kern's comments
Hundreds gather to protest Kern's comments

Comments Comment on this article191

By Michael McNutt
Published: March 18, 2008

About 300 people gathered during the noon hour today at the state Capitol to ask state Rep. Sally Kern to apologize for calling homosexuality the biggest threat to America.

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The Rev. Jim Shields, a retired United Methodist minister who lives in Kern's district that covers parts of west Oklahoma City and Bethany, called on the Republican legislator to hold meetings in the district to talk with gays and Muslims.

If Kern doesn't do those things, then she should resign, said the Rev. Loyce Newton-Edwards, assistant pastor of the Open Arms United Church of Christ and president of the Oklahoma City chapter of PFLAG, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

Kern, a Republican, was not in the Capitol during the 40-minute event in the first-floor rotunda. The House adjourned about 10 a.m. after a one-hour session today.

No state representatives were seen at the rally. Sen. Constance Johnson, D-Oklahoma City, watched for a while from the second floor.

Someone taped a speech Kern made in January to a Republican club in Oklahoma City and sent it to a national gay rights group. Kern said earlier that the speech was about 30 minutes; a segment of about three minutes was posted about 10 days ago on YouTube.

Since then, about 1 million people have played the comments.

Kern's legislative assistant said today the legislator has received about 26,000 e-mails since her comments were posted on the Internet.

Her comments include calling homosexuality "the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam."

"The homosexual agenda is destroying this nation; it's just a fact," Kern is heard saying on the YouTube clip.

Rob Howard, executive director of the Cimarron Alliance Foundation, an Oklahoma City group, asked House Speaker Chris Benge to demand that Kern apologize and that the Legislature act on four comprehensive hate crimes bills that failed to advance out of committee.

Benge, R-Tulsa, said last week he has no plans to punish Kern, saying Kern has a right to express her opinion.

Howard said freedom of speech does not belong to just Kern.

"The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has the right to disagree publicly with Sally Kern," he said. "In fact, it is our moral imperative."


 

Related Topics: U.S. State Government, U.S. Government, Culture and Lifestyle, Science and Technology, Technology, Relationships, Special Interest Groups, Social Issues, Internet, GLBT Issues, Internet Broadcasting, Sexuality

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Paula, that would include pedophiles and necrophiliacs. You don't seem to understand that discrimination is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it comes to deciding what one will or will not accept as a societal norm. Many of us view homosexuals in the exact same light as pedophiles: it is aberrant behavior and unacceptable to me on a personal (not religious) level.
Phil, Yukon - Apr 6, 2008 at 8:17 pm
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The Oklahoman is by far not a liberal media outlet. And I think you should check your statistics before claiming 99% of Kern's constituents are straight. In any given population, approximately 10% will identify as LGBT. If homosexuals are law-abiding people, why are they still treated differently under the law? Legal discrimination needs to be done away with.
BBJ, Midwest City - Mar 30, 2008 at 10:41 pm
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Paula wants all lawmakers to be answerable to the 1% of their constituents that might be homosexuals while ignoring the 99% that aren't.
T. A., Moore - Mar 25, 2008 at 12:30 pm
The Oklahoman is a liberal newspaper that goes to any extents to crucify a conservative in our government, up to and including all 20+ HATEFUL, yes I said HATEFUL attack ads they've provided for the very people Representative Kern was talking about. I'm surprised Ed Kelley hasn't sneaked into her office under the guise of a journalist (because he isn't one) to hand a target on her back.
T. A., Moore - Mar 25, 2008 at 12:27 pm
west, have you never seen a gay pride flag? That's what it looks like. The only difference here is that they are using a modified gay pride flag with the 50 stars added. They didn't change the American flag. They added something to the gay pride flag. Now that you know the truth, you have no reason to dislike their rallies, right? Closets are for clothes, and trust me, the out homosexuals have spent far too much time, energy, and emotion coming out. They're certainly not going back in.
BBJ, Midwest City - Mar 24, 2008 at 11:24 pm
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Whats up with that flag? trying to creat thier own world with those funky colors? That is the reason why I do not like thier rallies and thier movement especially when they try to change the American flag that is wrong and its stupid, no wonder people not just Christians having a growing dislike for gays.They need to stay in the closet.
west, okla - Mar 21, 2008 at 8:05 am
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Chuck from Walled Lake, you're nothing if not consistent. Consistently wrong. You are attacking the messenger. I hate perversion, you don't. Neither you nor I will sway the other but insulting the other is hardly necessary.
a, Edmund. Homosexuality is not necessarily chosen (although it is in some cases) the majority of homos are simply mentally defective. That's MY opinion.
And all of you who are so busy trying to compare all anti-homosexuals to Christians, I and many like me are irreligious and have no religion. We're agnostic and/or atheist and we still detest perverse sexual practices.
Phil, Yukon - Mar 20, 2008 at 7:18 am
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Dennis, I'm sorry I missed your question earlier. I was in attendance, and I'd say the numbers given by the Oklahoman are closer than the numbers estimated by the person who said 45-50. There were more than what the cameras showed. The people were in a large circle around the state seal on the floor of the rotunda. Therefore, without panning around the circle entirely, the cameras did not reflect the number in attendance. I'm assuming the person who said 45-50 went from the photos or camera shots he saw.
BBJ, Midwest City - Mar 19, 2008 at 12:39 pm
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I can't get over the fact that people think that the homosexual community is intentionally corrupting children and whatnot. It's not like they are going into schools and having super fun gay parades or passing out leaflets saying things like "you should be gay". How many of you have had a homosexual come to your door and ask if they can talk to you about their sexual preference? I know that's never happened to me, however I have had numerous morman and christian house calls. I just think it is so insane that people just cannot accept things that they can't change, and get over it. Really. What do you expect to get out of bashing people that have different sexual preferences than you?
Heather, Ada - Mar 19, 2008 at 11:50 am
Phil from Yukon OBVIOUSLY is a married man who has never had sex outside marriage, oral sex, etc.. And MUST follow all the Levitical laws as well.. THAT or he's a hypocrite.. I am betting my money on hypocrite
Chuck, Walled Lake - Mar 19, 2008 at 11:22 am
Whether you agree or disagree with homosexuality, the fact that she claims that gays are a bigger threat than Islam or Terrorists is ridiculous! More people have been killed in the name of Christianity via the many "Crusades", the Inquisition, Witch Hunts, etc. than they have been by gays, Islam or terrorists combined.
Chuck, Walled Lake - Mar 19, 2008 at 11:20 am
Boyh, you can tell we're in Oklahoma, all of those Holier than thou are arguing about God's creations, as if Gays are self made. It is nice to see those that actually have their eyes opened and are willing speak out are those who are "deprived their RIGHTS". GAY is not a choice; you don't wake and say I'm going GAY today. 95% of gay couples have monogamous relationships. I wish I could say that about most heterosexual marriages. Let’s have a show hands for those who have cheated on their spouses. I can show you plenty that cheated on their husbands while they were away fighting for this country. They were dropping their panties before the plane left the run way. I’d like to see Kern or any other Politian address the divorce rate, the domestic abuse, the sexual assaults and the child neglect that is so out of this world right here Oklahoma. Yes, I can see that heterosexual marriages are a real valued union (lol). Many of the gay couples that I know have great jobs, rock solid characters, and faithful in their relation and are excellent parents. They have to fight to get equal insurance coverage for their families and they can’t legally be joined by the state in marriage. If we let our Politian’s walk on their rights and shun them in public with blasphemous remarks, then how long will it be before they are allowed to single out other groups, OH! They already have - BLACKS, JEWS, WOMEN, HISPANICS and the American INDIANS, must I go on. We pay a high price for our freedom of speech. Kern has the right of Freedom of Expression through speech, we have the right and the responsibility to vote against these biased Politian’s.
Deborah, Moore - Mar 19, 2008 at 10:31 am
mike says that "There are Christians, blacks, hispanics, Jews, Germans, etc. that I don't particularly want to hang out with. That sounds more racist than what kern has said about gays. You think that whites are more better to hang out with than any other ethnic group. Please.
robert, norman - Mar 19, 2008 at 10:21 am
www.thetaskforce.org

There is an agenda and lots of money behind it.
Clark, Moore - Mar 19, 2008 at 9:57 am
I will never accept homosexuality as "normal" because it isn't. It is perversion. It is no more acceptable to me than bestiality, necrophilia or pedophilia, all of which are similar choices to homosexuality and about as endearing.
Phil, Yukon - Mar 19, 2008 at 9:03 am
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Paula...possibly, but I just can't make out what they are saying. It's not as clear as at the beginning of the video. And Paula, maybe you can answer a question under the "Home" tab of this subject...that being, someone mentioned there were 45-50 people at the rally,not 300. I recall you mentioned that you were there. How many folks attended in your estimation?
Dennis, Oklahoma City - Mar 19, 2008 at 8:49 am
Dennis, could it possibly be one of the other verses? They don't all end in those words. Mike, I'm not denied much myself. But I know people who are. No one is asking you to agree or even like it. Equality under the LAW isn't a special right.
BBJ, Midwest City - Mar 19, 2008 at 7:59 am
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Can anyone make out the words (America the Beautiful) the Gay congregation was singing at the end of the NewsOK video, "PFLAG rallies at Capitol?" Because, it sure didn't sound like, "God shed his grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea!"
Dennis, Oklahoma City - Mar 19, 2008 at 4:52 am
Mike...very well said.
Dennis, Oklahoma City - Mar 19, 2008 at 4:31 am
Paula,, you just don't get it, nor do you want to.. I don't have to like your life style, nor support it in any manner, nor even like you. Yes, it's discrimination... We discrimate every day. Which restaurant we want, which pair of shoes we buy.. If there is someone I want to associate with, it isn't going to be because of their lifestyle. There are Christians, blacks, hispanics, Jews, Germans, etc. that I don't particularly want to hang out with. You're lifestyle is just that. No reason to give it any special rights. I like root beer, I deserve no special rights. Tell me, exactly what right do you want that you think you are being deprived of. Exactly..
Mike, Oklahoma City - Mar 19, 2008 at 1:53 am
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The "Canadian Flight Attendant" story is nothing more than a myth. The origins of HIV can be traced to a very similar SIV in simians. It is believed that it was transmitted to humans through hunting, slaughtering, and consumption of infected simians. HIV infections in the United States have been traced back as far as the 1960s but we will likely in the future find out about cases from before that. It's not a "gay" disease. As for tolerance, I am a very tolerant person. I support the right of others to hold their opinions. I do not support legalized discrimination in our government. Our government is a secular government and should not be dictated by theistic doctrines. As for my "lifestyle" not that it's anyone's business, but I am not gay, just celibate. I have different reasons behind it than Jesse Kern does, but it's just as valid.
BBJ, Midwest City - Mar 19, 2008 at 12:09 am
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Good night and God bless to you all
Robert, Oklahoma City - Mar 19, 2008 at 12:08 am
Paula I have heard and seen far more hate from the gay community against those who dont condone or practice it. You hypocrites cry about rights and hurt feelings when you get a dose of it but its ok to crucify Sally Kern for her position? Tolerance should be a two way street but thats not fair when you are on the losing side of a disagreement.
Robert, Oklahoma City - Mar 18, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Paula - if you wish to live an abnormal life style thats your right but dont expect or demand that I have to accept it or embrace it. I dont care what you do in your own home but dont come out here and try to shove in us hetros face and have a tizzy when we dont tolerate it anymore.
Robert, Oklahoma City - Mar 18, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Paula - nice try but its not only about gays. If you read my earlier posts it is a PC sexual degenerate acts that have us where we are by those who choose to practice. In regards to HIV - yes I lay that at their feet with the contamination of our blood supply in the beginning. I believe I have explained my opinions in earlier posts if you care to look.
Robert, Oklahoma City - Mar 18, 2008 at 11:50 pm

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