I’m wondering if anyone from the news media is watching what a certain Oklahoma State Representative is doing concerning gay rights?
Her name is Sally Kern. She has compared gay love to terrorism.
She has introduced three bills in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. They are aimed directly at gays in Oklahoma. All of these bills are dead but it still shows the hate some of the Oklahoma Lawmakers have against gays and minorities.
a. House Bill 1599. This bill is named “Preservation of Sovereignty and Marriage Act. This bill states “no taxpayer funds or government salaries shall be paid for any activity that includes the licensing or support of same-sex marriage. No employee of this state and no employee of any local government entity shall officially recognize, grant or enforce a same-sex marriage license and continue to receive a salary, pension or other employee benefit at the expense of taxpayers of this state. No taxes or public funds of this state shall be spent enforcing any court order requiring the issuance or recognition of a same-sex marriage license. If a judge violates this act, the judge shall be removed from office pursuant to Section 1 of Article VIIA of the Oklahoma Constitution.” She is basically saying that anyone government worker in Oklahoma that has anything to do with same-sex marriages will be fired to include state judges.
b. House Bill 1598. She is saying that parents can seek conversion therapy for their gay children and the Oklahoma state government can’t do anything against it. She is indicating that “mental health provider” - means psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, professional counselor or marital and family therapist, pastor and youth minister, who is licensed by his or her respective licensing authority. Basically anyone can serve as a mental health provider. I feel for these poor kids who have to go through this type of conversion therapy. It has already been proven that it’s wrong.
c. House Bill 1597. No business entity shall be required to provide any services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods or privileges related to any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person, group or association. The refusal of a business entity to engage in any activity described in subsection A of this section shall not result in a civil or criminal fine under state or local law based upon the refusal. This means that any business can legally discriminate against gays and the Oklahoma state government can’t charge the business owner for violating minority civil rights. Rep Kern did withdraw this bill, but she must have believed in the merits of this bill since she did write it and introduced in the House. Just think about the below for a moment:
Your grandson is attending OU (Oklahoma University in Norman, OK). He’s 20 years old. In one of his classes, he’s having trouble understand what the professor is explaining and receives a bad grade (“D”) on his first exam. The guy sitting next to him, well, he made an “A” on the exam. Seeing your grandson’s grade, he leans over after class and says to your grandson, “I can help you if you want.” Your grandson accepts and they start studying together. On the next exam, your grandson makes a “B.” Your grandson decides to take his friend out to dinner as a thank you. They leave the university and head into Norman to dinner. They are going through an intersection and another car broadsides them on the passenger side. Your grandson is pinned in the car and the firemen have to cut him out. Paramedics are there and treat your grandson and get him ready to load into the waiting ambulance. The ambulance driver sees the back windshield of the car your son was riding in. In the window there is an emblem of the rainbow flag. The ambulance driver refuses to load your grandson into the ambulance. The owner of the ambulance company has informed his employees that he doesn’t serve gays. So your grandson dies on-site. (Note: In my town, there are five ambulance services. Four are privately-owned and one is owned by our county hospital.)
These types of laws will cause this to happen. Why? Any law that legalizes discrimination for any reason always hurts the innocent.
What I don't understand is why Oklahoman lawmakers aren't speaking out against this woman. I've read only one has. Why is that? Oh yeah, their all right-wing Christian conservatives. I hope you do realize the Oklahoma state government is completely controlled by Republicans. This means they have absolute power over minorities. And you know what happens when you given someone or a group absolute power? The old saying is: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I feel sorry for minorities in Oklahoma, especially gays. It's really bad when you don't have anyone in the Oklahoma state government representing you. I guess since they're not being represented they don't have to pay state taxes, right? No taxation without representation.