Sally Kern Stopped from Entering Oklahoma Capitol with Gun

Sally Kern, the Oklahoma representative who is well known for her remarks that homosexuals are a worse threat to America than terrorists, was stopped by security at the state capitol on Wednesday when she tried to enter with a handgun.

"Rep. Sally Kern, R-Okla. City, never made it past checkpoint, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokesman said. The lawmaker was asked to return to her vehicle and secure the weapon, which she did. Kern told Eyewitness News 5 that she merely forgot to leave the weapon behind. She said she got out of her car quickly to catch up with a colleague. The weapon was in her purse, she said, and was detected via an X-ray machine."

It's the second time in two months.

"In early June, troopers said, Kern breached security and entered the Capitol with a weapon. When Kern realized she had the gun, she said, she came down to make troopers aware that she had it. Troopers said there was never a breach of security, however, on Wednesday. Of the June incident, Kern said that her purse was being scanned by X-ray right as she dropped something. As the security attendant helped Kern with that, her purse made it through undetected. She stressed that in both cases it was merely a matter of forgetting that she had the weapon."

Oh, and it was loaded.

Maybe she was just defending herself against a fagwa?

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The Towleroad / NewNowNext Video News Moment Award

As I mentioned briefly last week, Towleroad has partnered with LOGO's NewNowNext awards to present a prize for the most impactful video news moment of the year. We went through all the clips we've posted in the last year and chose the five that we felt were most hard hitting as gay video news moments.

Our category does tend toward the serious. While Chris Crocker's "Leave Britney Alone" moment certainly inspired plenty of disgust and cultural fodder, we decided moments like those didn't fall into the news category - as much as CNN may want them to.

So here are the five clips we chose as finalists — video moments which had an impact on gay lives. While one of our choices (Sally Kern's rant) is purely audio, there's no doubt that the medium by which its message was spread was YouTube. So, here they are. You can use the following widget to cast your vote, and links to the clips are provided below, for your review.

FOR YOUR REVIEW:

Al Gore voices his support for marriage equality. WATCH.

Ellen Degeneres speaks out about Lawrence King. WATCH.

GOP San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders reverses opinion on same-sex marriage. WATCH.

Larry Craig declares he is not gay and has never been gay. WATCH.

Sally Kern compares says gays worse than terrorists. WATCH.

For more information and to vote for the rest of the NewNowNext Awards, click here.

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News: DC Madam, HRC, Naomi Campbell, Sally Kern, Singapore

D.C. Madam commits suicide in Florida...Whitney Houston's daughter attempts...

HRC's VP of Programs, David Smith, talked to Michelangelo Signorile about why the Human Rights Campaign is not endorsing anyone in the Oregon Senate race, why they support Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who backed various antigay judges and Supreme Court justices, and why they're not endorsing Jim Neal of North Carolina. Audio here.

Batter Up: Who is Naomi Campbell gonna lay into next?

Scientists report success in blocking HIV infection in lab by inactivating protein expressed in key immune cells.

Misconception that AIDS is a gay disease fueling infection rate in Singapore.

Read John McCain's 2003 speech he delivered on the Senate floor on the occasion of "Mission Accomplished": "Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom demonstrated to the world what we saw just 12 years ago. We went to war as the most combat-ready force in the world. The value of that readiness is clear. We won a massive victory in a few weeks, and we did so with very limited loss of American and allied lives. We were able to end aggression with minimum overall loss of life, and we were even able to greatly reduce the civilian casualties of Afghani and Iraqi citizens."

AfterElton is casting about for the world's 100 hottest men.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore slams Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell over attitude toward gays: “Christ was a radical. He despised the Establishment and the Pharisees. He threw the money-changers out of the temple. I liken certain church officials today to the Pharisees that Christ took exception to."

Focus on the Family's new logo interpreted.

Vanderbilt University makes strides in reaching out to LGBT students: "There will be 'five immediate key action steps,' Dean of Students Mark Bandas wrote in a press release: opening an Office for GLBT Life; hiring a director of GLBT life; working with various campus groups, especially admissions offices and The Commons, to 'ensure that members of the GLBT community understand that they are welcomed and valued members of our community'; moving to amend the non-discrimination policy to include gender identity and expression; and continuing to investigate additional recommendations made by the GLBTQI Student Issues Committee."

Reichen recants rant: "Sorry everyone for being childish. We all experience pain, but venting on MySpace isn't right. I'm sorry and I regret it. I was emotional and I don't feel any of the things I've said. And whoever I've dated that it could have been directed toward is and was never the way I may have described. I was venting on life and frustration and I apologize for offending anyone or for making myself look childish."

Carrie Underwood gets liquored up in Vegas for new video...

Jason Lewis doesn't understand the haters: "In the world we're living in, gay people are still horribly discriminated against. Why does anybody need to be so affected by someone else's happiness? Some of these people show up 20 years in a row at the county clerk's office [to get married] knowing they're going to be turned down. That's dedication and love...These are decent people."

Sally Kern's rival in the upcoming election amassing a major war chest.

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News: Mad Drag Queen, Thailand, Christian Siriano, Asteroids

San Francisco financial services firm reconsidering move to Oklahoma City because of Sally Kern's anti-gay remarks.

Drag queen who looks like Amelia Earhart targets Intimate Ideas, a lingerie store that refused to hire him — with his car!

Thailand's government ignoring surge in HIV rates among MSM: "Thai gays have essentially been left to sink or swim; and they're sinking."

Britney Spears now taking driving lessons from her kids.

Reduce your risk of prostate cancer: rub one out regularly.

Christian Siriano rips The Hills' Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port: "It’s really sad that if I didn’t win Project Runway, I probably wouldn’t have the sponsors I have now. I would have never been able to do what they have done because they all have disposable income, and yet their work still isn’t that great! I mean, it’s fun and flirty and young, but they’re not innovators. None of them will ever be an innovative designer. Buyers and editors are looking for longevity, and hopefully they will see that in me.”

AP: Same-sex couples in U.S. having trouble getting divorced. Rhode Island's Cassandra Ormison: "We all know people who have gone through divorces. At the end of that long and unhappy period, they have been able to breathe a sigh of relief. I do not see that on my horizon, that sigh of relief that it's over."

HGTV hosts in Canada Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan get married. Ryan: "After a year of living in Toronto, filming Home Heist, it became clear to us that it was time to tie the knot. Canada is such a progressive nation, so welcoming and open-mindedly liberal about gay marriage, that we felt thoroughly inspired."

One of the first Scottish couples to join in a civil partnership has been driven apart because of homophobic attacks: "Every time we went out young thugs would abuse us because of our sexuality and once we were set upon and attacked by three neds. It got worse after I moved to another house, in Irvine. For two months I was calling the police out about three times a night. Gangs of up to 15 youths were outside shouting abuse, throwing bricks and trying to break my door down."

Bravo's Step it Up and Dance has a contestant with a gay porn past (warning: NSFW)

First seniors home for gays and lesbians in Canada is proposed in Vancouver: "So far, the project is nothing more than a proposal, but already more than 30 people have plunked down a $1,000 deposit since it was first advertised two weeks ago, according to the U.S. developer. The plan is for a condo development featuring living units, a communal dining room, a fitness centre, a lounge and cabaret."

13-year-old German schoolboy corrects NASA on path of errant asteroid: "Nico Marquardt used telescopic findings from the Institute of Astrophysics in Potsdam (AIP) to calculate that there was a 1 in 450 chance that the Apophis asteroid will collide with Earth, the Potsdamer Neuerster Nachrichten reported. NASA had previously estimated the chances at only 1 in 45,000 but told its sister organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), that the young whizzkid had got it right." (UPDATE: Hoax!)

American Idol's Michael Johns prefers to be an alert drunk.

Last week I posted about gay rights activist John Corvino, who had his appearance canceled by Michigan's Aquinas College, because he's gay. Students found a new, larger venue for him to speak at, which was donated for free.

South Africans reach out to gays in Zimbabwe: "The South African Lesbian and Gay Equality Project (LGEP), formerly known as the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality (NCGLE), is concerned about the deepening political, economic and social crises in Zimbabwe. We express our full solidarity with the lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, women, workers and all the people of Zimbabwe. We add our voice in condemning the unjustified delay in the release of the 29 March elections. As Zimbabwean Independence Day approaches on 18 April 2008, Zimbabweans have nothing to celebrate in honour of their heroic liberation struggle and historic achievement of freedom and democracy."

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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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News: 90210, Ecuador, Nate Berkus, Gay Pension, Alabama Prom

A Boy Named Gay wins NYT weird name story contest.

Meet the first cast member of the Beverly Hills 90210 spin-off.

Rally for Sally: 50 Pastors organize "free speech" demonstration for bigoted Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern.

Brown University bookstore to be renovated to make it "a little less gay." Director: "You can practically slice the homoeroticism in there with a knife."

Indonesian Muslim leader clarifies beliefs about homosexuality to Jakarta Post. Ma'aruf Amin, chairman of the Fatwa Commission at the Indonesia Ulema Council: "Yes, it's a social construction, but it is derived from the Koran. The Koran clearly states that homosexuality is unacceptable, and we ulema have agreed about that. It's a curable disorder. There have been many cases where homosexuals have realised what they did was wrong and became heterosexuals again. It's something that can be fought off. God created both good and bad behaviours, but He told humans to choose the good ones. So, it's a matter of options."

Nate Berkus strips down on a Hawaiian beach.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa on gay rights: "Let's be clear that the profoundly humanistic position of this government is to respect the intrinsic dignity of everyone, of every human being, independently of their creed, race, sexual preference. ... We will give certain guarantees to stable gay couples but matrimony will continue being reserved for a man, a woman and the family. ... Every person has dignity, that's to say, one must respect a person independently of their sexual preference. Be careful not to deny employment to someone because of their sexual preference. That is discrimination, that is unconstitutional."

Madonna will hurt you.

European Union Court rules in favor of gay man claiming his late partner's pension benefits: "'The refusal to grant the survivor's pension to life partners constitutes direct discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation if surviving spouses and surviving life partners are in a comparable situation as regards that pension,' the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, the EU's highest court, ruled today. The Court of Justice left it up to German judges to decide the status of the pension."

Alabama lesbians win right to attend school prom: "Two Alabama high school students didn't think they would be able to dance the night away at their high school prom last weekend all because they're gay, and the school wouldn't allow them to attend. But that all changed in light of a federal judge's decision. A temporary restraining order was given to the Scottsboro City Board of Education. Chelsie Collins and Lauren Farrington are both students at Scottsboro High School and Saturday night is their school's prom."

UK Stonewall equality survey finds homophobia rife in British society.

Janice Dickinson: Crazy/Exhausted.

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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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Moby Praises 'Superior' Gays, Wants Gay Kids, Blasts Sally Kern

In an interview with The Advocate's Brandon Voss, electronic music artist Moby says he'd "much rather align myself with the gay community than the straight community" and says that he still stands by statements he made some time ago that gays are "superior to straight people."

Says Moby: "I also said that if and when I ever have children, I want gay children, which didn’t really endear me to the Christian right wing of America. There are a lot of people in the world who are virulently homophobic or misogynistic or anti-Semitic, and what baffles me is that if you just look at it empirically, gays, women, and Jews are certainly responsible for far fewer violent crimes than straight white guys. They’ve started fewer wars, and they tend to be well educated, fun to hang out with, and they have nice homes, bars, and restaurants."

As far as his own sexuality goes, Moby refuses to label it: "I just like to think of myself as being pretty open-minded. Also, you never know what the future might bring, so I have no idea. It’s a cliché to say this, but in a perfect world, the dichotomous definition of straight and gay would probably carry less weight."

In an entry on his website, Moby also recently blasted Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern for her remarks about gay people.

Said Moby: "ok, where to begin...how about this simple question: what did jesus (presumably sally kern's god) say about homosexuality? let's see...nothing? yup, nothing. dear sally kern: jesus never mentioned homosexuality. allow me to put it a different way, perhaps in question form...how many times did jesus mention homosexuality? oh (to be conversational), none? yup none. never. not once. zero. he did mention divorce (saying it was bad), and capitalism (ditto: bad), and judgementalism and intolerance (again: bad), and forgiveness (good). but homosexuality? never mentioned by jesus in the gospels. so why are the religious right in the u.s so utterly obsessed with homosexuality? and how is the homosexual agenda (whatever that might be) destroying the nation? i mean, if evangelicals call themselves christians shouldn't they sort of base their evangelical agenda on the things that christ actually said?

Moby's new studio album, Last Night, arrives on April 1.

Moby [big gay following]
hi, i'm here in austin and enjoying the fact that it's warm and i'm also checking the news [moby]

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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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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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