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Kern Meets With PFLAG Group
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: March 27, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET
(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. (story)
"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.
©365Gay.com 2008
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