Gay Tulsa Couple Targeted by Hate Vandals

A gay couple in Tulsa, Oklahoma have been targeted by vandals twice in the last week who slashed tires, set a truck on fire, and tagged their property:

"About seven days ago, the message "Gays Must Go" was spray-painted on their garage door, and a symbol resembling a swastika, which is used by some white supremacist groups, was spray-painted on the side of their home. Holes were punched in a friend's pickup's tires and the truck was set on fire while parked in Stotler's driveway. The message 'I'll be back' was spray-painted on both sides of the vehicle. And back the person came. A few days later, holes were punched in the front door of their home in the 11800 block of East 25th Street, and the message 'Gay Go Away' was painted on it."

Because Oklahoma's hate crime laws do not cover sexual orientation, the incidents have been labeled by police as "acts of vandalism or malicious mischief." Anyone looking at the photos can see the threats involved.

Said Freddy Owens, executive director of Oklahomans for Equality, which condemned the attacks: "Oklahomans for Equality deplores the vandalism directed at Robert Stotler, an openly gay resident of east Tulsa. Such intimidation highlights the urgent need for federal and state hate crimes legislation protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Without such legislation, attacks on Robert and other LGBT people will continue to be classified as mere vandalism and will not be prosecuted properly."

The owners of the home have not spent a night recently in their home for fear of their lives but say they are not planning on moving.

Recent Oklahoma news...
OK County Commissioner Brent Rinehart's Homophobic Comic Book [tr]
Oklahoma Politico Preparing Anti-Gay Comic Book for Voters [tr]
PFLAG's Meeting with Sally Kern: The Full 40-Minute Recording [tr]

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OK County Commissioner Brent Rinehart's Homophobic Comic Book

Earlier today I posted about Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart's homophobic 16-page reelection campaign comic book that he's sending out to voters. The comic book features all the horrible things that gays might do and highlights Rinehart's efforts against them.

The pages also target Attorney General Drew Edmondson and his attempts to force the Boy Scouts of America to drop its anti-gay policies adjacent to a drawing of (I suspect) a gay in a toga trying to lure a young boy crying "help" out of the woods.

According to the Oklahoman: "Edmondson filed felony campaign finance charges against Rinehart last year, alleging Rinehart and his former campaign manager illegally funded the 2004 campaign for county commissioner. A trial has been scheduled for September."

I've posted two pages from the masterpiece below (via Reason Magazine), and here's a PDF of the entire book (thanks to commenter znsd). Who knew we would get to take a look at it so soon?

Second page AFTER THE JUMP...

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Oklahoma Politico Preparing Anti-Gay Comic Book for Voters

Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart is reportedly preparing to mail out a homophobic comic book to voters featuring stories about how gays and Satan are out to get him, the Oklahoman reports:

"The 16-page comic book makes fun of homosexuals and criticizes Rinehart's political opponents. It features a man and woman admiring Rinehart's often-controversial political career."

Said Keith Gaddie, a political science professor at the University of Oklahoma: "This is one of the strangest things I've ever seen. I've never seen a comic book with the phrase ‘anal sodomy' in it before. That was a new one for me.”

An angel and Satan, as well as "toga-wearing gays, political figures, and trench coat-clad henchmen" figure among the comic book's characters in the odd re-election campaign propaganda:

"In one sequence, Satan says: 'If I can get the kids to believe homosexuality is normal!' The angel replies: 'Hey Satan, not with Brent around you won't!' Rinehart said he doesn't think the depiction is inappropriate and that he is proud of the comic. 'The history of my office is that I do expose the homosexual agenda, and that it does exist in the state of Oklahoma, and my history also would show that I am very much opposed to the homosexual agenda,' Rinehart said. Rinehart said he spent two months writing the comic. He said his friend Shane Suiters did the illustrations. Rinehart wouldn't say who is managing his campaign, and wouldn't say if he's running it himself."

Maybe Sally Kern is running it!

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PFLAG's Meeting with Sally Kern: The Full 40-Minute Recording

PFLAG today released recordings of their full 40-minute meeting with Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern. Listen to PART ONE, above. Kern met with the group in late March in response to controversy, which is still ongoing, surrounding her remarks that gays are a worse threat to the nation than terrorists.

Following their meeting with Kern, PFLAG reported that Kern said that she agrees that gays and lesbians should not be fired from their jobs because of their sexual orientation. Later, Kern said that her views were misrepresented.

Said Kern to the Oklahoman after the meeting: "I unequivocally do not support sexual orientation laws."While I do not advocate employers going on a witch hunt to fire homosexual employees who are performing their jobs in a manner just like any heterosexual employee, I do not support laws that would force employers to check their First Amendment rights to freedom of religion, speech, and association at the workplace door.”

PFLAG disagrees, and says the tapes tell a different story:

"As the full 40-minute audio recording released this morning by PFLAG proves, Kern said not once (at about 15 minutes and 30 seconds in) that she does not believe GLBT people should be fired from their jobs . . . but she said it twice (again at about 33:15), confirming her stance when Rev. Kelly McCallie recaps the meeting near its end. And, when asked by Rev. Newton-Edwards if she would consider attending future PFLAG meetings to hear from other families in her district, Kern says - almost joyfully - 'maybe.' She even says - when asked if she and her husband will join a PFLAG supporter for dinner - 'Sure!' In fact, if you look at PFLAG’s characterization of the meeting last week, and Kern’s version of the encounter in the local press, there is no question that Sally flat-out lied to reporters."

Listen to Parts 2, 3, 4, and 5 AFTER THE JUMP...

From the Office of Sally Kern [pflag]

Previously
Oklahoman Editor Lament's State's Focus on Sally Kern [tr]
Kern at 1000-Strong 'Rally for Sally': This is Not About Me [tr]
Sally Kern Meets PFLAG, Comes out Against Anti-Gay Discrimination [tr]
OK Rep. Sally Kern and Openly Gay Pastor in Easter Sunday Faceoff [tr]
An Update on the Anti-Gay Sally Kern Saga [tr]

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Oklahoman Editor Lament's State's Focus on Sally Kern

In a video posted on Friday, Ed Kelley, the editor of The Oklahoman newspaper, blasted Sally Kern, her supporters, last week's "Sally Rally", and her distracting bigoted message.

Said Kelley: "What if instead of 1,000 people gathered to praise her, 1,000 people - smart, law-abiding people who really care about Oklahoma and its future - came instead to insist that our state can and must send legislators to the capitol who will focus on real issues that affect Oklahoma. In other words, 1,000 voices that said we've had 100 years of Sally Kern, and 100 years of that is enough..."

Watch the clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Kern at 1000-Strong 'Rally for Sally': This is Not About Me

NOTE: This is an update of an earlier post...and it's worth pointing out that while AP puts the numbers at the protest at 1,000, a local news station puts them at 300, while the wishful thinkers at right-wing religious outlet WingNut Daily put them at 2,000.

Early reports are beginning to come in on the "Rally for Sally" sponsored by several right-wing religious "pro-family" groups along with over 50 pastors.

Via AP: "More than 1,000 people streamed into the Oklahoma Capitol Wednesday for a rally in support of state Rep. Sally Kern, the Republican lawmaker who drew national condemnation for anti-gay remarks caught in a YouTube audio clip. A 'We Stand With Sally Kern,' sign was posted in the Capitol's first-floor rotunda, where the rally was being held. Kern drew widespread criticism for her comments, including a remark that homosexuals are a greater threat than terrorists. Kern has rejected demands by gay and lesbian groups that she apologize for her remarks."

Above, Kern is pictured with state Rep. Mike Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City).

The Oklahoman reports: "Kern (pictured here with Jack Bettis and Americans for Truth's Peter LaBarbera) and several others, including a man who said he was gay until he found Jesus Christ, often quoted Scriptures while speaking to the crowd. Kern...said after the rally she was humbled by the turnout. 'This is not about me,' Kern told those at the rally. 'It's about the church having the right to speak out about the redeeming love of Jesus Christ Who died to set us all free from our sins.' Kern's husband, the Rev. Steve Kern, said it wasn't the purpose of the rally to bash homosexuals. 'We love them,' said Rev. Kern, pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in Oklahoma City... Kern said a biblical verse came to her after her comments were posted last month on the Internet. The passage is Philippians 1:12, where the apostle Paul wrote, 'I want you to know that what has happened to me has served to the advancement of the gospel. And that's the way I'm looking at this to God be the glory,' she said. Kern said again today she is not going to apologize. She said her comments were not against homosexuals, but were directed at the strategy of gay rights supporters to defeat conservative candidates. Kern's husband said he wasn't asking anyone to apologize for the thousands who sent hate mail to his wife's Capitol office and to their home or said mean things about their family. 'We forgive you,' he said. 'We have no animosity in our hearts toward you.'"

The Oklahoman earlier today published an editorial calling Kern a "one-trick pony" who should "work to do something constructive" with her time.

The Oklahoman wrote in an editorial: "Last week Kern met with one of the groups (PFLAG), based in Oklahoma City, and afterward its president called it 'a very productive conversation' and backed off the call for Kern to step down. But the next day, Kern said the group had taken her remarks from the meeting 'and spun them to make it appear that I am backing off my comments that homosexuality is a sin ... and that I am in favor of sexual orientation laws.' She said neither could be further from the truth, and that the group had shown a 'lack of integrity' by twisting her words to fit its purposes. Oh, and she won't meet again with members. That's disappointing, but hardly surprising. Kern's main focus in the Legislature has been on anti-gay initiatives, such as trying to determine where libraries should place books with homosexual themes. 'God's Word does not change. ... Therefore, my opinion also will not change,' she said last week. Kern will be shown a little love today when the American Family Association holds a rally in her support at the Capitol. Perhaps constituents ought to hold a rally of their own, urging this one-trick pony to put her tiresome personal agenda aside and work to do something constructive."

'Sally Rally' draws more than 1,000 Kern supporters [the oklahoman]
Sally Rally: People gather to support state lawmaker who made anti-gay remarks [tulsa world]
She said, she said: Lawmaker won't let issue go [the oklahoman]

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Sally Kern Meets PFLAG, Comes out Against Anti-Gay Discrimination

Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern met with representatives from the Oklahoma City chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). The group reports that Kern did not issue an apology for her remarks that homosexuality is a greater threat to the United States than terrorism, nor was she asked for one.

Via PFLAG: "Rev. Loyce Newton-Edwards, president of the Oklahoma City PFLAG chapter, was joined in the meeting by Dr. Rev. Kathy McCallie, pastor of the Church of the Open Arms and Rev. Jim Shields, a retired UnitedMethodistChurch minister from Kern’s district. The group requested a meeting with Kern following a March 18 rally at the state capitol. In her meeting with PFLAG supporters today, Kern said that 'I agree with' the idea that gay and lesbian Americans should not be fired from their jobs because of their sexual orientation. 'We appreciate Representative Kern taking the time to meet with us and consider an important, ongoing dialogue about our families and loved ones,' said Rev. Newton-Edwards. 'Representative Kern expressed a commendable desire to consider every family, every Oklahoman and every constituent. Today, she took an important first step forward that, we hope, will be the beginning of many conversations with our families and our community.'"

Said Jody M. Huckaby, executive director of PFLAG: "As Representative Kern begins to listen to voices from across her district, and the state, she will hear the stories of hard-working, patriotic men and women who make our communities better, our nation safer and our families stronger. We appreciate this initial meeting, and PFLAG stands ready to be a resource to Kern and a champion for her constituents. We look forward to continuing today’s conversation and working with Kern to move equality forward. Bringing communities together, rather than dividing the public with inflammatory words, should be a top priority of every elected leader. Kern will always find open arms and welcoming families at PFLAG."

On Thursday evening, Kern was the guest speaker for the UCO's College Republicans. The Oklahoman reports: "Kern spent much of her speech explaining why she thought Christianity plays an important role in American government before turning her attention to her previous comments and taking questions from the audience. Most of the questions came from people who disagreed with Kern's views."

At one point, she said, "If I knew it was being recorded, I'd still say the same thing. I will not back down from what I believe the Bible teaches."

Rep. Sally Kern is not asked to quit [the oklahoman]
Kern says she wouldn't change a thing [the oklahoman]
Oklahoma City PFLAG Supporters Meet with Sally Kern [pflag]

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OK Rep. Sally Kern and Openly Gay Pastor in Easter Sunday Faceoff

On Easter Sunday, Oklahoma state rep. Sally Kern and openly gay pastor Scott Jones of the Cathedral Of Hope in Oklahoma City faced off on Oklahoma City's political chat show Flashpoint. Check it out AFTER THE JUMP...

At issue, of course, were Kern's now world famous comments about gay people. Kern did not offer any apologies, but the talk does show how vastly different interpretations of the Bible can be.

Kern argues that homosexuality destroys "the moral fabric" of society, but I'd argue that Kern's interpretation of the Bible is far more destructive than any gay person will ever be.

In related news, Ron Marlett, a 59-year-old social worker, announced he would be running against Kern for her seat in the fall. Said Marlett: "I've just been concerned for some time about the damage done by extremes. I abhor hatred. I abhor hatred of people, of groups. I think everyone is worthy of respect."

Watch the clips of Sally Kern and Pastor Scott Jones, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via pam's house blend)

you may have missed...
Judy Shepard Has a Message for Anti-Gay OK State Rep Sally Kern [tr]
An Update on the Anti-Gay Sally Kern Saga [tr]

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Judy Shepard Has a Message for Anti-Gay OK State Rep Sally Kern

Of course you remember Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern's anti-gay rant. Kern has been standing her hateful ground since her remarks broke wide across the internet.

Last week, 300 people rallied outside the Oklahoma state capitol to protest Kern's remarks, and the lawmaker, who says she has received death threats over her statements, agreed to meet this week with "two or three" representatives of the LGBT community once she had her lawyers in place.

Today Judy Shepard released a message for the bigot:

"My son died nearly ten years ago at the hands of people whose hatred changed many lives that day. It hardened hearts and brought others to their knees. It shook a nation and enraged millions. At that time, I knew there was a window of opportunity that I could use Matthew’s story and my voice in replacing hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance. Through the Matthew Shepard Foundation, we are reaching young people who are at risk of being poisoned by the dark ideas of people like Sally Kern. I don’t know why Sally Kern is proud of comparing gay people to cancer or terrorism, but count me as someone who’s listening now to people like her. She may be free to say people like my son are a threat to America, but when she does she puts other mothers’ sons in danger. I pray she doesn’t say it anymore."

Read Shepard's entire message at The Victory Fund.

Judy Shepard: Sally Kern’s free speech [victory fund]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #260

ATLANTA TORNADO: Inside the Georgia Dome during Friday night's storm which spawned an F2 tornado in downtown Atlanta.

APARTMENT BOMB: An Air National Guard jet mistakenly dropped a 22-pound BDU-33 dummy bomb on an apartment complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma late last week.

JOHN MCCAIN'S BAGDHAD MARKET: Too dangerous to stroll through now

A GAY AMERICAN IDOL: CNN explores the possibility.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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An Update on the Anti-Gay Sally Kern Saga

Last Friday I posted the secretly-taped diatribe against homosexuality which Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern thought she was delivering to no more than 50 people. It has become a viral YouTube phenomenon. Kern's bigoted rant against gays and copies of it have been viewed well over half a million times. I've reposted the audio as well as a statement Kern released defending herself AFTER THE JUMP, in case you want to get angry again.

Here's an update on the Kern story.

On Monday, the Dallas News reported that Kern had received over 3,000 emails and hundreds of telephone calls, some containing death threats.

Said Kern, who is the wife of a Baptist minister (which explains a lot): "I was talking about an agenda. I was not talking about individuals. They have the right to choose that lifestyle. They do not have the right to force it down our throat. I have never said hate speech against anybody. I would never do that."

Tulsa World reported the number of emails Kern had received at 5,000: "Most of the communications were critical, and several contained language that Kern said she has never heard before. The lawmaker related some of the e-mails to Republican caucus members in a closed meeting Monday. She later said the group gave her a standing ovation."

Kern believes she has the first amendment right to defame an entire group of people. Said Kern, in her statement released yesterday: "To put this simply: As a Christian I believe homosexuality is not moral. Obviously, you have the right as an American to choose that lifestyle, but I also have the right to express my views, and my fellow Oklahomans have the right to debate these issues."

Laura Belmonte, president of the Tulsa group Oklahomans for Equality, responded to that defense: "'I find it particularly interesting that she (Kern) is invoking freedom of speech for these remarks,' Belmonte said, noting that Kern sponsored a bill a few years ago to restrict access to library books that might contain gay or les bian themes or information."

Kern has vowed not to apologize.

Yesterday, GLAAD called on the media to hold Kern accountable for her remarks.

Said GLAAD President Neil Giuliano: "This type of hateful and defamatory language from our public officials is completely unacceptable. GLAAD calls on its members and allies to stand together to hold elected officials like Kern, pledged to serve all the people, accountable for promoting hatred and bigotry. Media have a responsibility to cover Kern's ugly remarks, not only to hold her accountable for her misinformed, inaccurate claims about gay and lesbian people, but also to bring to light the anti-gay attitudes and beliefs that are still all too common in our country, Kern's hateful assertions highlight the need for media to examine how the anti-gay attitudes of elected officials impact their diverse constituencies."

Listen to the infamous audio clip and read the statement Kern issued yesterday, AFTER THE JUMP...

***STATEMENT FROM SALLY KERN***

OKLAHOMA CITY - State Rep. Sally Kern (R-Oklahoma City) issued the following statement today in response to the criticisms of homosexual activists who have objected to a recent speech she gave on their efforts to promote their agenda at both the federal and state level.

"To put this simply, as a Christian I believe homosexuality is not moral. Obviously, you have the right as an American to choose that lifestyle, but I also have the right to express my views and my fellow Oklahomans have the right to debate these issues.

"In recent years homosexual activists have begun to aggressively promote their agenda through the political process, often providing substantial financing to candidates who agree with their views, including many running for state legislative races. National publications such as Time, The Atlantic and USA Today have noted that trend. That is their right, just as it is my right to voice opposition to their agenda, which I have been asked to do at several public forums in recent months. That's what democracy is all about. It appears some homosexual activists believe only one group is allowed a voice in this debate. I disagree.

"A vigorous debate on an issue is not 'hate speech' - it's free speech. I have made clear my opposition to the agenda of homosexual activists, but I have never endorsed or supported any hateful action targeting individuals on the other side of this debate and never will. The fact that many gay rights activists claim anyone opposing their agenda is engaging in 'hate speech' says more about them than me.
"Most Oklahomans are socially conservative and believe marriage is a sacred institution, the union of one man and one woman, and that the traditional family is worth protecting and preserving. When I campaigned for office, I promised my constituents to stand up for those values, and I do not apologize for keeping my word."

***END OF STATEMENT***

Capitol Address:
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 332
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 557-7348.

District Address:
2713 Sterling Ave.,
Oklahoma City, OK 73127.

Email: sallykern@okhouse.gov or srkern@cox.net

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #255

1 HOUR IN THE LIFE OF A BANKSY: Banksy's latest work on Essex Road in London has been attracting a lot o attention. It's now covered up to protect it from vandals. A filmmaker shot this time lapse film of people coming to see it for one hour on March 6.

SALLY KERN: The Victory Fund put out this clip of Oklahoma State Legislator Sally Kern on a tirade about homosexuality when she thought only 50 people were listening.

JOHN MCCAIN IS ANGRY: McCain gets testy when a reporter asks him about a statement that he had never had a conversation with John Kerry about being his running mate in the last election.

ANDERSON COOPER: An old report from 1996 when Cooper was working for ABC News on a gay couple of 47 years. (via soupcans)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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White Supremacist Charged with Gay Man's Murder in Oklahoma

Law enforcement officials in Oklahoma City charged Darrell Lynn Madden for the October murder of Steven Domer. The killing was apparently intended as an initiation into the United Aryan Brotherhood for Madden's friend Bradley Qualls, according to an affadavit filed in the case.

According to The Oklahoman, "Domer, 62, was last seen Oct. 26 at the car wash. His body was found a little more than a week later, dumped in a ravine in McClain County."

Madden has also been charged with the murder of Qualls, who died 10 days after Domer's disappearance. Qualls death was the result of a disagreement, according to police.

The AP reports: "Domer, who friends said was gay, was last seen Oct. 26 near a car wash, according to court papers. A witness said Domer had been talking to two men who matched the description of Madden and Qualls.
Domer's car was found the next day near Madden's home, according to an affidavit from Oklahoma City police Detective Kenneth Whitebird. Madden's roommate told police he heard Madden and another man describing an encounter with someone who 'wouldn't even fight back,' while a woman Madden had dated said she overheard him and Qualls talk about killing a man."

A doorman at Angles, located near the carwash where Domer disappeared told the Oklahoman, "This guy was motivated by hate — pure and simply. The fact is it's a hate crime, and it should be classified as a hate crime. It's just like if he was murdered for his race or his religion."

According to prosecutors, " Madden will not face a hate crime charge because sexual orientation is not covered under Oklahoma law."

We Don't Know Why They Killed Him [the oklahoman]
Washington man faces second murder charge in death of Edmond resident [ap via tulsaworld]

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News: Peru Meteor, Katherine Heigl, Grey Gardens, Brett Somers

Katherine Heigl's fiancé may one day repeat the words of Princess Diana: "There were three of us in that marriage."

Aussie Olympian Ian Thorpe cleared of doping charges leveled on him in May 2006. Investigator: "The evidence available does not indicate the use of performance-enhancing substances by Mr Thorpe. He has no case to answer."

Diamondback Prison in Oklahoma accused of hiring "homosexual predators" as prison guards.

Animated NYC subway map showing the construction of subway lines in sequential order.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann hospitalized following emergency appendectomy: "Mr. Olbermann’s appendix apparently ruptured Wednesday, but he wrote it off as a stomach ailment and soldiered on. Though still feeling ill, he nonetheless reported for work Thursday night, when he anchored MSNBC’s analysis of President Bush’s prime-time address on the war in Iraq. It wasn’t until Friday afternoon that he decided it was time to seek medical attention, according to an MSNBC spokeswoman." Get well, sir.

CASTING ABOUT: Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange to star in film version of Grey Gardens for HBO films. Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire in negotiations to play Brothers.

Match Game regular Brett Somers dies at 83 after battle with stomach and colon cancer.

New York Times to end paid content service "TimesSelect" at midnight Tuesday: "The Times said the project had met expectations, drawing 227,000 paying subscribers — out of 787,000 over all — and generating about $10 million a year in revenue. 'But our projections for growth on that paid subscriber base were low, compared to the growth of online advertising,' said Vivian L. Schiller, senior vice president and general manager of the site, NYTimes.com. What changed, The Times said, was that many more readers started coming to the site from search engines and links on other sites instead of coming directly to NYTimes.com. These indirect readers, unable to get access to articles behind the pay wall and less likely to pay subscription fees than the more loyal direct users, were seen as opportunities for more page views and increased advertising revenue."

Meteor that struck Peru on Saturday causes mysterious illness among villagers: "Residents complained of headaches and vomiting brought on by a 'strange odor,' local health department official Jorge Lopez told Peruvian radio RPP. Seven policemen who went to check on the reports also became ill and had to be given oxygen before being hospitalized, Lopez said. Rescue teams and experts were dispatched to the scene, where the meteorite left a 100-foot-wide (30-meter-wide) and 20-foot-deep (six-meter-deep) crater, said local official Marco Limache. 'Boiling water started coming out of the crater and particles of rock and cinders were found nearby. Residents are very concerned,' he said." More...

Scissor Sisters' Ana Matronic lashes out at lenient sentence given to UK gay bashers who attacked her friend in July 2006: "I am really horrified and disgusted that, in particular, the one person who instigated this attack did not get sent to jail. She seems like a true menace and someone who is quite capable of doing this type of thing again. I was really shocked when I found out what had happened."

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Gay Oklahoma Teen Sues School for Failing to Curb Harassment

19-year-old gay teen Michale Bullis filed a lawsuit in January in U.S. District Court, claiming that Grove school officials violated his civil rights "when they failed to provide him with a safe school environment and created a hostile climate that led to assaults and name-calling" according to the Joplin Globe:

"According to the federal complaint, Bullis claimed he was the target of 'severe and pervasive verbal and physical harassment.' In the complaint, Bullis also alleged that while attending Grove High School, he was routinely subjected to 'name-calling and threats of physical harm and death' from 2002 to November 2005...Bullis was also subjected to repeated sexual assaults, which consisted of inappropriate and unwanted backrubs accompanied by verbal mockery and insults, inappropriate stroking of his neck and throat, also accompanied by blowing in his ear and touching, and rubbing and grabbing his genitals, the complaint stated."

Bullis cites two attacks in which he was punched and teeth were broken, and one in which he was knocked briefly unconscious. He transferred to the Grove Alternative School, he says, because the school failed to adequately protect him.

Bullis seeks $75,000 in damages and a diploma with honors. School officials, who were served the papers last week, had no comment.

Gay Grove student suing school district [joplin globe]

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"Sir, We Got One of Them Queers Here"

Earlier this week I reported that gay Oklahoman Michael Cich was going to try to enlist in the Army.

Well, the attempt was made, according to the Oklahoman, unsuccessfully.

"Cich (pictured above) was asked to wait until an Army public affairs expert could arrive to interview him. About 30 minutes later, Capt. Eric Morris, commander of the Oklahoma City West Recruiting Company, said there had been a change in plans and Cich would not be interviewed or allowed to fill out any forms. 'Since you admitted you are openly gay, that's a violation of enlistment policies,' Morris told him."

His identical twin brother, Robert Cich, also applied but told recruiters he would only enlist if his brother was accepted.

The brothers' attempts to enlist are part of a broader "Right to Serve" campaign spearheaded by Christian activist group Soulforce, which is for the most part being carried out by gay youth across the country.

In related news, earlier this month it was revelaed that a cadet at West Point received special honors for a senior thesis he wrote criticizing the military's policy on gays.

You may have missed...
Gay Man Challenges Military with Straight Identical Twin [tr]
Soulforce Sit-ins Underway at Military Offices [tr]
West Point Cadet Wins Award for Paper on Gay Policy [tr]

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Gay Man Challenges Military with Straight Identical Twin

Last week I posted about the "Right to Serve" sit-ins that took place in Minnesota and in Philadelphia. In Oklahoma (which recently elected its first gay legislator), Michael Cich, whose family has a long history in the military, plans to attempt to enlist. But to make a larger point, he's bringing his straight identical twin brother along to enlist as well, according to Oklahoma's KOTV:

"He says if they take his brother and not him, then there's no question why they're rejected him. It would be easy for Cich to simply follow the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy and he'd most likely get in. But he says in some ways, it wouldn't be easy. 'I have a friend who was in military service who wanted to put in 20 years or service, but after 5 years, he was like that's enough, I can't take it. Its too much pressure. It's too much hiding. If people don't think there are gay people serving with them now, they're lying to themselves, because I have lots of friends in the military who are gay who aren't choosing to be out because they want to be in the service.'

In any event, he says he will be giving the process the respect it deserves. 'We're not going in there banging drums, we're not going in the carrying banners. We're going in just like any other recruit would, except the only difference is, we're going in there completely honest, saying I'm gay, I want to serve in the military, what do I need to do to make that happen.'"

You may have missed...
Soulforce Sit-ins Underway at Military Offices [tr]

An Oklahoman, Who Is Gay, Wants To Enlist In The Military [kotv]
Cities of the "Right to Serve" Campaign [soulforce]

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Oklahoma Elects its First Openly Gay Legislator

Just a week after Alabama elected its first openly gay official, Oklahoma has followed suit, electing Democrat Al McAffrey to the House District 88 seat in Oklahoma City.

McAffrey received 51% of the vote to win a three-candidate primary race. No Republican candidate is challenging.

Said McAffrey: "I ran as a Democratic candidate in District 88, and I happen to be gay. Health care, senior care, education, those are the things that really matter to the people. The people in Oklahoma want the government out of their social lives, and let's take care of things that matter to Oklahomans. Yes, we're a conservative state and we have conservative issues, but as a father and a grandfather, I have some conservative issues as well. I've talked to several Democratic members, and I believe I can have a working relationship with every one of them. I believe they are very open about working with me."

He may have meant to say Republican in that last sentence (or was misquoted) but in any case, good news from the heartland. Congratulations.

OKC District Elects State's First Gay Legislator [tulsa world]

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