Kern Meets With PFLAG Group
365Gay.com
March 27, 2008(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Members of the Oklahoma City Chapter of Parents,
Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays met
Thursday with Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern (R)
to express concern about her recent comment that
gays are "the biggest threat our nation has,
even more so than terrorism."
She made the remarks in a speech earlier this
month to a small gathering but did not know they
were being recorded. The tape fell into the
hands of The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund which
then posted it on YouTube.
"The homosexual agenda is destroying this
nation; it's just a fact," Kern declared in the
speech. I'm not gay bashing, but according to
God's word that is not the right kind of
lifestyle," she said. "It has deadly
consequences."
Joining PFLAG at Thursday's meeting at Kern's
office at the state Capitol were two pastors -
Dr. Rev. Kathy McCallie, pastor of the Church of
the Open Arms and Rev. Jim Shields, a retired
United Methodist Church minister from Kern’s
district.
Kern did not express an apology during the
meeting, nor did she back away from any of her
earlier comments.
Nevertheless, PFLAG said it believed the
meeting was the beginning of a dialogue. It was
her first meeting ever with a group working
within the LGBT community.
And she made a commitment about workplace
rights. During the meeting she told the PFLAG
group that "I agree with" the idea that gay and
lesbian Americans should not be fired from their
jobs because of their sexual orientation.
"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," said Jody M. Huckaby, executive
director of PFLAG.
“We appreciate this initial meeting [and] we
look forward to continuing today’s conversation
and working with Kern to move equality forward.
According to The Williams Institute at the
University of California - Los Angeles, Oklahoma
is home to more than 89,500 LGBT citizens;
nearly 10,000 lesbian and gay military veterans;
and approximately 4,000 children are living in
loving homes headed by same-sex couples.
According to the Institute, Representative
Kern’s district is home to more LGBT Oklahomans
than any other district in the state.
Despite growing outrage over Kern's remarks
the Oklahoma GOP has refused to censure her.
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