WATCH: CNN on Sally Kern vs. Brittany Novotny
In Oklahoma, Rep. Sally Kern’s folks get really hateful
I know I shouldn’t expect anything less from the supporters of Sally Kern, but calling my friend, Brittany Novotny, who happens to be trying to run for office because she is more qualified than Sally a “confused it” is rather uncalled for, don’t ya think? Brittany responds with her usual style and grace:
“If Rep. Kern and her allies spent as much time focusing on Oklahoma’s future as they seem to spend worrying about my past, maybe we could keep teachers in the classroom and rebuild our crumbling infrastructure,” Novotny said. “This type of personal attack is what Oklahomans are tired of, and it shows why Kern and her political allies continue to be out of touch with mainstream Oklahoma values.”“Certainly there are third parties out there who may not listen to me and may go ahead and personally attack her, just like she may have supporters that don’t take the lead from her and personally attack me,” Novotny said. “It happens. I hope that those voices are kept to a minimum and they don’t overshadow the campaign, because I really do think there are some serious differences in how we see the future of Oklahoma and what we think will be best for our economic development.”
We can all help Brittany unseat a hateful homophobic legislator who infamously proclaimed:
Studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades. So it’s the death knell of this country. I honestly think it’s the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam — which I think is a big threat, okay? Cause what’s happening now is they are going after, in schools, two-year olds…And this stuff is deadly, and it’s spreading, and it will destroy our young people, it will destroy this nation.
Send a message by giving generously to Brittany right here.
Sally Kern's transgender challenger, Brittney Novotny, sets one-day fundraising record
- Brittney Novotny
This week, Brittney Novotny filed to run against Fred Phelps-clone Sally Kern for a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. I reported on the race in this week’s paper.
On her website, Kern calls June “sexual deviants month.”
Novotny is transgender.
Should be a fun race to watch.
The day after filing, Novotny told me that she’d need about $100,000 for her race and that she had already raised almost $20,000. She has no primary challenger, so all money will go directly toward the general election.
This morning she reported that yesterday was her best day of fundraising yet. She collected $5,471.
Most of it was from local donors.
“More than $5,000 was from Oklahoma — not outsiders like our opponent will claim,” she said.
OKC councilman again votes against Pride, compares gays to wife-beaters, pedophiles
Here in Dallas, it’s news when a city councilmember refuses to attend gay Pride. But just up the road in Oklahoma City, one city councilmember is still voting every year not to issue a special-event permit for gay Pride. Not only that, in defending his vote, Councilman Brian Walters is still equating gays with wife-beaters and child molesters. From On Top Magazine:
“The reason I voted no on that is that I’m a born-again Christian and don’t believe in the homosexual lifestyle,” Walters, who represents the city’s Ward 5, told The Journal Record. (subscription only)
The council’s remaining seven representatives voted in favor of the event.
“I don’t want my vote to be construed as support, because I really don’t support that, the same way that I wouldn’t support a group of, say, pedophiles who wanted to assemble. I would not vote yes on that either, [or] men who beat up their wives. Anything like that,” Walters said Wednesday.
Needless to say, OKC Pride will go on with or without Walters’ support June 25-27. And organizers are quietly thanking Walters for the free publicity.
UPDATE: In response to Rickey Wagner’s comment below, here’s contact info for Walters:
Phone: 405 297-2569
E-mail: ward5@okc.gov
Genitalia on Jesus' abdomen?
Some parishioners at a Catholic church near Oklahoma City are outraged over this crucifix that hangs above the main altar, which they say shows genitalia on Jesus’ abdomen. In fact, the crucifix is meant to show Christ’s “distention,” or abdominal swelling, according to the church’s pastor. You can read all about it in The Oklahoman. In a poll on the newspaper’s Web site, 58 percent say they aren’t offended by the image, while 42 percent say they are. Personally, I would agree with those who say it looks an awful lot like genitalia, but at the same time, I don’t find that the least bit offensive.
Oklahoma man found dead after alleging police brutality outside gay bar in Tulsa
- This is one of the photos Keith Kimmel posted on a blog showing injuries allegedly caused by police.
A gay Oklahoma man was found dead in a Norman apartment on Wednesday, two days after he filed a complaint alleging that police roughed him up outside a gay club in Tulsa.
Keith Kimmel, 28, made headlines a few months ago when he sued the Oklahoma Tax Commission for denying his application for a personalized license plate saying, “IMGAY.”
Authorities say Kimmel’s death is under investigation. The Tulsa World has the full story.
Oops! Oklahoma Senate opts out of wrong hate crimes law
Back on March 11, John Wright reported here on Instant Tea that the Oklahoma Senate, in an effort led by Sen. Steve Russell, had approved an amendment that would allow the state to opt out of participating in the federal Sheppard/Byrd Hate Crimes Law that includes protections for LGBT people.
The measure prohibits “local and state law enforcement agencies from sharing information about hate crimes with federal authorities if the state of Oklahoma did not recognize the crime as a hate crime by its own statutes.” Oklahoma state law does not recognize “sexual orientation or gender identity” as a special class and fails to provide gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals with hate crimes protections.
But today comes word from the Center for American Progress that Sen. Russell and his pals messed up. Instead of prohibiting Oklahoma state officials from sharing information about anti-LGBT hate crimes, their bill prohibits state officials from sharing with federal authorities information on hate crimes based on religious or racial prejudice. The mix-up happened, apparently, because of a typo in Russell’s bill citing Section 240 of the federal hate crimes law, instead of Section 249.
Read Igor Volsky’s post on the mix-up here.
