OFEC
UPDATE
The Oklahoma City town hall meeting to bring
back information from the state-wide summit in Stroud
took place at the Church of the Open Arms tonight.
Approximately 50 activists were on hand to hear what
coalition organizers were able to achieve last
Saturday. Information on the new Coalition's
personnel and structure are on the new website which
just went online at www.ofec.org. Meeting facilitators Karen
Weldin, Keith Smith, Terry Gatewood and Mark Bonney
laid out the situation regarding the anti-GLBT
resolutions and amendments being proposed and the
strategy the Coalition has developed for opposing
them. They encourage organizations, faith groups and
individuals to join the Coalition. In addition, they
are circulating a Freedom To Marry petition which
they encourage people to sign and circulate.
Another town hall meeting will take place in Tulsa on
Jan 20. GLAAD will present media training at the
Church of the Open Arms on Saturday, Jan 17. HRC will
be offering training at the end of this month.
Activists were also encouraged to attend the League
of Women Voters seminar being offered at the State
Capitol on Wed, Jan 21. Keith Smith, himself a
professional lobbyist, endorsed it as the best
possible training anyone could undergo for lobbying.
Further information should be available at www.ofec.org, or contact Karen Weldin at karen@soulforce.org or Rodney Johnson at politick@red-river.us.
SOULFORCE
IN OKLAHOMA JOINS OFEC
Dear Soulforce in Oklahoma friends and
supporters,
Exciting news! Soulforce in Oklahoma joined the
Oklahoma Freedom and Equality Coalition this past
weekend. The coalition is a group of organizations,
faith-based groups, and individuals working together
to achieve equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender people. The OFEC carries out this
mission through education, advocacy, and grassroots
organizing. The overall goal is to build a committed
and powerful grassroots movement.
We want to do our part and help the coalition to
support equal civil marriage rights and to oppose the
Federal Marriage Amendment. This is Soulforce's
number one priority this year!
We have an exciting agenda planned for our next
meeting this Sunday, January 18th 3-5 P.M. We will be
giving a report on the Oklahoma Freedom and Equality
Coalition Summit meeting held January 9-10 in Stroud.
We will also have all of the resources from the
coalition and will be making our plans and commitment
to action. If you want to learn more about equal
civil marriage rights and how to oppose the Federal
Marriage Amendment come to our meeting Sunday and
find out.
This meeting is also considered our annual meeting.
We are making plans and looking for leadership for
2004. Come and be a part of Soulforce as we continue
to do work to stop spiritual violence perpetuated by
anti-gay policies and teachings against gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender persons.
We look forward to seeing you Sunday in Tulsa!
PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
Soulforce in Oklahoma Meeting Reminder
our next meeting will be
Sunday, January 18th
3-5 p.m.
We meet at Community of Hope UCC Church
2545 S. Yale, Tulsa, OK
We will be giving a report on the Oklahoma Freedom
and Equality Coalition (OFEC) Summit Meeting in
Stroud last weekend.
We will have available the OFEC "Freedom to
Marry Petition" for you to sign and copies for
you to take with you to get others to sign.
We will have resources available to assist you to
join us and take action to help defeat the Federal
Marriage Amendment.
We will work on the OFEC Action Plan together and
have copies for you to take to your friends.
Come and join us!
If you have any questions, please
email us or call 918-452-3184
OCU
SCHOOL OF LAW TO HOST DEBATE ON LAWRENCE
V TEXAS
Oklahoma City University (OCU) School of Law
and OCU LAW’s Lesbian and Gay Law Student
Association (LGLSA) will present a panel discussion
of the case Lawrence v. Texas, 123 S. Ct.
2472. The discussion will be held at 5:00 p.m.,
Tuesday, January 20 in the Homsey Family Moot
Courtroom in the Sarkeys Law Center located on the
OCU campus, at Northwest 23rd and Kentucky.
The ruling preserves for the first time a broad
constitutional right to sexual privacy, and its
impact will be felt beyond Texas, and the 12 other
states with similar sodomy laws applied against the
gay and lesbian community, and into mainstream
America.
“I am looking forward to providing this
opportunity to Oklahoma City to hear both sides of
the debate regarding Lawrence v. Texas. I
think it is important for everyone to make
intelligent decisions regarding this issue and this
is an opportunity for everyone to be educated on both
sides of the issue,” said Rhonda Rudd, President
of OCU Law’s Lesbian and Gay Student Association.
OCU LAW faculty members, Professors Arthur LeFrancois
and Dennis Arrow will be joined in this discussion by
Mark Henricksen, senior partner at the Oklahoma City/El
Reno firm Henrickson and Henrickson Lawyers, Inc.,
and Andrew Lester, of the Edmond firm, Lester, Loving
& Davies, P.C. LeFrancois and Henrickson will
argue in the affirmative; Arrow and Lester will
oppose.
The history of Lawrence v. Texas is this:
the Plaintiffs, John Geddes Lawrence and Tyron
Garner, were arrested when a police officer observed
them engaging in consensual sexual activity in
Lawrence's bedroom. They pled no contest at the
trial, and were convicted of violating Texas’
Homosexual Conduct Statute.
These convictions were overturned when a three-judge
panel of the Court of Appeals of Texas, Fourteenth
District, struck the law down as violating
constitutional equal protection guarantees. The Court
then reheard the case en banc (all of the justices on
the court heard the case, rather than the customary
three-judge panel), and upheld the statute,
reinstating the ban on homosexual sodomy.
Lawrence and Garner appealed this decision to the
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the highest court in
Texas for criminal matters. The Court of Criminal
Appeals refused to hear the case, thereby letting the
prior decision stand.
The defendants then appealed to the United States
Supreme Court. On December 2, 2002, the Supreme Court
agreed to hear the appeal. In June, 2003, the
justices ruled 6-3 that the law banning same-sex
sodomy was unconstitutional. Five justices claimed
that the law violated the defendants’
fundamental right to privacy, and another justice
ruled that the law violates equal protection rights
by discriminating between homosexuals and
heterosexuals. Three justices opposed the decision.
Professor Arrow has served as a member of the
Oklahoma Constitutional Revision Process Clause of
the Fourteenth Amendment. He is a member of the
United States Supreme Court Study Commission, is an
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the
Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes and is editor-in-chief of
Oklahoma Tribal Court Reports. He also has
substantial experience in United States Supreme Court
litigation in both the constitutional law and
American Indian Law fields. Professor Arrow received
his B.A. from George Washington University; his J.D.
at California Western School of Law, and his LL.M.,
Harvard University Professor.
Professor LeFrancois was in private practice in State
College, Pa., before joining the OCU LAW faculty. He
has served in leadership positions for a number of
statewide public and private efforts devoted to
criminal sentencing reform and state constitutional
revision. He has led sentencing workshops for state
trial judges and directed a training program for
Armenian defense attorneys under the auspices of the
American Bar Association's Central and East European
Law Initiative. His recent scholarship has focused on
criminal law and procedure, the Rehnquist Court, and
the relationship between values and law. Professor
LeFrancois holds a B.A., Beloit College; and earned
his J.D. at The University of Chicago.
Mark Henrickson is the senior partner of Henrickson
and Henrickson, Lawyers, Inc. He holds undergraduate
and law degrees from the University of Oklahoma.
Henrickson is a full-time litigator who was awarded
the 2001 Justice Thurgood Marshall Appellate Advocacy
Award by the Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers
Association, in recognition of his successful work on
behalf of clients facing the death penalty.
Henrickson has been active in civil liberties work
for 25 years and has been a member of the board of
directors of the National ACLU as well as president,
vice president and presently General Counsel of the
Oklahoma ACLU.
Andrew W. Lester is a member of the Edmond, Oklahoma,
law firm of Lester, Loving & Davies, P.C. He
attended Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich,
Germany, received his A.B. from Duke University and
his M.S. and J.D. from Georgetown University. Lester
recently served as chairman of Oklahoma Governor Brad
Henry’s Law Enforcement/Corrections Transition
Team and was a member of the Budget/Finance
Transition Team. An adjunct Professor at Oklahoma
City University School of Law, Lester has taught
criminal law, international law and local government
law and is an Adjunct Scholar of the Oklahoma Council
of Public Affairs. He is the author of 80 articles on
various professional and public policy issues.
Oklahoma City University School of Law is fully
accredited by the American Bar Association and is a
member of the Association of American Law Schools. It
offers full- and part-time degree programs and serves
a diverse student body of approximately 550,
including many working professionals and other non-traditional
students. Approximately half of its students come
from outside Oklahoma, and its 4,500 alumni practice
in every state and several foreign countries. For
more information about the School of Law, visit the
Web site at www.okcu.edu/law.
CLARK'S
WIFE IN OKC
Gert Clark, wife of General Wesley Clark,
Democratic candidate for president, will be in
Oklahoma City on Friday:
Sid & Stephanie Musser
601 N.E. 18th
OKC, OK
(northeast corner of 18th & Lincoln)
7:00 pm
Free Event
HATE
CRIMES MEETING
The Cimarron
Alliance Foundation is holding a town hall meeting on
Hate Crimes on Sunday, January 25th at 6PM at the
Copa, located in the Habana Inn, 2200 NW 39th
Expressway. Organizers will discuss hate crimes
directed against the GLBT Community in Oklahoma,
including the case of Shawn McDaniel, who was
attacked in Norman on October 16, 2003. CAF has
agreed to help McDaniel pursue a civil case against
his attackers and will be accepting donations to fund
the case. The Copa has pledged that if 100 people
show up for the meeting, they will donate $1.00 of
every beer sale.
NW
CLASSEN HIGH SCHOOL
Joe Quigley presents us with yet another
letter from the administration that you have to read
to believe - this one's from the dean of instruction.
www.gayokc.com/quigley011304.htm
DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY FORUM
Democratic Party Candidates Want Your Vote
Find Out Who Deserves It
Precinct 452 Presidential Primary Forum
Belle Isle Library, 5501 N. Villa at NW Hwy, OKC
Tuesday, January 20, 7:00pm
Reps from 8 Campaigns Will Answer Your Questions
Jim Nimmo, chair--405-843-3651
Eva Jo Sparks, co-chair
David Walters, secretary
WHAT'S
IN STORE FOR 2004?
Will this be a year of evolution or
revolution? Will 2004 in OKC be more or less historic
than 2003? Find out when GayOKC.com presents The
State of Our Community 2004, Monday, January
26, 6:30PM at Epworth United Methodist Church!
Reception begins at 5:30. Meet the people who made
the news happen in OKC's GLBT Community in 2003, find
out what they think and what they're doing in 2004!
What are the issues our community is dealing with
& what are the resources we have available to us?
Our community is bigger than you think it is!
(The State of Our Community 2004 is being made
possible by donations from the Cimarron
Alliance Foundation, Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian
Political Caucus Central
Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats, and Gourmet
Cakes.)
OKLAHOMA
EQUALITY STRIDES IN STROUD
Editor's note: According to an email
from Keith Smith, the Tulsa meeting will be at
Fellowship Congregational Church (29th and Harvard)
on January 20th at 7PM. Also, please note that the
correct time for the OKC meeting is 6PM
on Jan 15. This town hall meeting is open to all
supporters of GLBT Rights regardless of party
affiliation, NOT just Democrats!
(Oklahoma City) An upbeat, vigorous, and
committed-to-equality crowd of 85 people from all
over Oklahoma, representing many equality groups,
both gay and straight, crowded the meeting room at
the Best Western Motel in Stroud, OK on January 10,
2004 to set in motion the Oklahoma Freedom and
Equality Coalition (OFEC for short. Say it out loud,
good and loud!) which is going to fight tooth and
nail, down to the mat, for gay/lesbian equality in
Oklahoma.
Four essential committees were formed to guide the
Coalition's energies and efforts in the most
efficient way in order to effect the equality you and
I know that ALL citizens of this country are entitled
as our birthright.
Expertly co-chaired by Rodney Johnson and Karen
Weldin the organizing meeting reviewed preliminary
arrangements and solidified the goals and mission of
the Coalition.
Town hall meetings were announced for Thursday,
January 15, at Church of the Open Arms, 6:00pm, NW 30th
and N. Pennsylvania in OKC. Tulsa's meeting will be
January 20, place and time TBA.
These meetings are extensions of the Stroud meeting
for those unable to make it to Stroud.
In addition to the groundwork, we heard from Oklahoma
County Commissioner District 1, Democrat, the
Honorable Jim Roth, who spoke of the importance of
equality for gays/lesbians in Oklahoma. Using
experiences from his own life Mr. Roth illustrated in
black and white that gays/lesbians are not asking for
"special rights" but are insisting on the
equal rights that hetros enjoy without their even
thinking of the disparity now legally existing in
Oklahoma.
Mark Mead, from Log Cabin Republicans, also spoke of
the need for equality from the GOPer POV. Answering
the rhetorical question, "How can an openly gay
man remain in the GOPer Party?" Mr. Mead
remarked that not all Democrats are gay-friendly.
Mr. Mead also pointed out that there is the
possibility that in addition to the Federal Marriage
Amendment now introduced in the US Congress, another
amendment may arise that would remove from the "full
faith and credit" clause of the US Constitution,
whereby laws in one state are recognized in another
state, it's ability to be used in the legal avenue of
marriage.
Readers of this article must understand that
religious fundamentalists and homophobic politicians
of both major parties are going full force against
the forward surge for gay/lesbian equality in the US
of A. Don't think for one minute that the recent
state and federal court decisions will save what
progress we have made in 2003.
Constitutional amendments CAN NOT be reviewed by ANY
court in ANY state or the Congress. Ratified
amendments will be permanent for generations.
I don't have a generation to wait and I don't believe
any readers of this article have any more access to a
reserve of time than anyone else.
All of us must do what we can NOW!! Attend the town
meetings and join our gay/lesbian army to repeal the
mental and physical attacks being launched against
our citizenship.
There can be no varnishing of the plain truth. It
will take energy, commitment, bravery, and sacrifice.
Freedom, both of the body and the mind, deserves no
less!
The year of 2004 is going to be a gay/lesbian Rubicon.
We must cross this barrier, conquer it, and revel in
our victory!
James Nimmo, treasurer, Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats
www.oklahomastonewall.org
OKLAHOMA
GLBT LEADERS ENDORSE DEAN
Over 100 Oklahoma Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgender Leaders have endorsed Governor Howard
Dean, candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination
for President of the United States.
"Governor Dean has been the only candidate to
back up his speech with action, by signing Vermont's
civil union law - and he stood with us through the
political fallout that came with it, " says
Keith Smith, a National Board Member of the Stonewall
Democrats.
Dean's GLBT supporters plan to reach out to the gay
community throughout the next month, since that
community has been a cornerstone of Dean's campaign
since the early days.
Volunteers will be actively recruiting and
identifying voters for a massive "Get Out The
Vote" push within the GLBT community.
The following GLBT leaders in Oklahoma have publicly
endorsed Governor Dean:
Marty Newman, John Gibbons, Dr. Shirley Hunter, Keith
Smith, Lee Burrus, Rhonda Rudd, Rodney Johnson, G.G.
George, Philippe Beaudette, Joe Quigley, James Nimmo,
Rex Ball, Nick Post, Tony Foss, Steven Edwards, Paul
Bashline, TJ McKinsey, Edward Kromer, Bob Lemon,
Chrys Lemon, Carmen Coronado, Karen Parsons, Pam
Paul, Diane Deason, Corky Green, David Nickell,
Karen Weldin, Clyde Pierce, Dorothy Alexander, Paul
Barby, Jayshree Naidu, Mark Henricksen, Wanda
Chapman, Dee Corley, Sonja Martinez, Preston White,
David Davis, Sherry Maxwell, Kathy McKean, Susann
Bain, Eotree Palmer, Stan Simpson, Jon Harle, Tim
Gillean, Ken Draper, Floyd Martin, David Paddock,
Phillip Cyr, Duane Moore, Joe Freeman, Will Decker,
Sarah Scanlon, Carmen Coronado, Dena Link, Kent Doss,
Terry Dennison, Rick Chappell, Rex Mendenhall, Jon
Tipton, Jason Anderson, Toby Vanrakan, Walter Oaks,
Dallas Williams, K. Brad Douglas, Julian Vasek, Gabe
Coppinger, Christian Pellesehi, Steve Callahan, Buzz
Anderson, David L Clark, Craig Travis, Jason
Krottinger, Douglas Redus, Matthew Opalka, Tamara
Knight, Pam Lowery, Gayla Barker, Lee Morgan, Robert
Winders, Angelo Rodriguez Jr., Raven Delray, Steven
Lofton, Felicia Fontaine, Phil Burke, Jess Brent
Barnes, Robert R. Nixon, Rob Morrison, Martin Berry,
Ed Walker, Gary Davis, Pearl Pearson, Glenn Ladd,
Lewis Cleveland, Jesse McGee, Jr., Ben J. Williams,
Patrick Mahoney, Jeffrey Askins, Jacob S. Nielsen,
Monty Jacobs, Al McAffrey, JT Estrada, James K
Richardson, Jeff Thompson.
2003:
THE YEAR IN REVIEW NOW ONLINE!
It's all here, taken from the front
page of GayOKC.com! From Jim Roth's swearing-in to
the Oklahoma campaigns of the Democratic presidential
candidates and the GLBT activists who are making them
happen, and all the events that made 2003 a historic
year in our community and hold enormous promise and
potential for good and ill in 2004: including the
City Council's removal of all restrictions on the
banner program, GLBT impact on the City Council
races, The Laramie Project, hate crimes
bills, the PNI "Peace Train", PFLAG OKC,
the Oklahoma Republican Party platform, Rick
Santorum, Stonewall Democrats, Soulforce in Oklahoma
at the Oklahoma Methodists conference, Rev. Gene
Robinson, Howard Dean, Lawrence v Texas,
Fred Phelps pickets Billy Graham, the Cathedral of
Hope disaffiliating from MCC, the Democratic
presidential forum in Stillwater, reorganization of
the Cimarron Alliance Group, the Norman
Transcript printing a same-gender union
announcement, OKC Public Schools superintendent Bob
Moore's letter to Joe Quigley stating in writing that
it is against district policy to discriminate against
GLBT students, the first ever GLBT History Month
display at NW classen High School, Kirk Humphrey's
resignation as mayor so he can run for the Senate,
the "Love Won Out" conference, the
Massachusetts Supreme Court decision regarding Gay
marriage and the response from Oklahoma legislators,
Brad Carson's support for the Federal Marriage
Amendment and the Central Oklahoma Stonewall
Democrats' decision not to support his campaign for
re-election, Jacqueline Gatewood's "Diversity
House" project and the announcement of a
statewide coalition of GLBT organizations in Oklahoma!
Part One:
January - June
Part Two:
July - September
Part Three:
October - December
2002
IN REVIEW STILL ONLINE!
www.gayokc.com/yearinreview2002.htm
GUERRIERO
COMING TO OKLAHOMA?
According to a posting on the OGLPC
Discussion List by someone who attended the Stroud
summit, Log Cabin
Republicans
Executive Director Patrick Guerriero may be coming to
Oklahoma sometime in March, possibly to speak at OU
or some other area college. LCR Political Director
Mark Mead spoke at the summit in Stroud on Saturday
and also met with local Gay Republicans. More info
will be posted as it becomes available.
GRAVES
JOINS ANTI-MARRIAGE GRAVY TRAIN
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Mike W. Ray, Media Division Director
January 8, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: State Rep. Bill Graves
Capitol: (405) 557-7348
Oklahoma City: (405) 235-5811
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A pair of measures to ban same-sex
civil unions in Oklahoma as well as gay marriages
will be introduced in the Legislature this year by a
staunch opponent of homosexual behavior.
State Rep. Bill Graves intends to file a bill that
would amend state law, and a companion resolution
that would propose an amendment to the Oklahoma
Constitution.
The bill would provide that a marriage or a civil
union performed in another state between people of
the same gender "will not be recognized as valid
and binding in this state..."
The legislation would also clarify that a marriage or
civil union between a couple of the same gender
"is not authorized or recognized" in
Oklahoma. "Gay" marriages have been
prohibited in this state since 1997.
In addition, Graves' bill would declare that a
marriage or civil union between persons of the same
gender "shall be considered repugnant to the
public policy" of this state.
The bill defines a "civil union" to mean
"a relationship between persons of the same
gender which is not a legal marriage but gives the
same rights, benefits and responsibilities as a
marriage..."
"According to the Holy Bible, homosexuality is
an abomination in God's eyes," declared Graves,
R-Oklahoma City. "Nothing the liberals say
otherwise can change that."
A joint resolution Graves intends to file would call
for a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment to
prohibit same-sex marriages or civil unions in
Oklahoma, and to disregard such ceremonies performed
in other states.
Graves, an attorney, pointed out that such a
prohibition imprinted in the Constitution would carry
even more weight than a statute. A statute can be
changed by a majority vote among the 149 members of
the state Legislature, but the Constitution can be
amended only by a statewide vote of the people, he
explained.
Graves acknowledged that his proposal was prompted at
least in part by a Nov. 18 ruling of the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that the
Massachusetts Constitution guarantees homosexual
couples in the Bay State the right to marry.
At least one other House member, Rep. Mike O'Neal, R-Enid,
also wants a constitutional ban against gay marriages.
In his "Defense of Marriage Act," O'Neal
proposes a referendum on a constitutional amendment
that would expressly define a marriage as the union
of a man and a woman.
The issue of marriage between members of the same sex
has been taken up by state courts other than
Massachusetts' and by the federal government.
In 1996, Congress passed and then-President Clinton
signed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined
marriage as a "union between one man and one
woman" and allowed states to ignore any same-sex
marriage from another state. Today, Oklahoma is one
of 37 states that prohibit recognition of marriages
between gay couples.
The National Conference of State Legislatures reports
that Alaska, California, Nebraska and Nevada have
amended their state constitutions to ban gay marriage.
In addition, legislation proposing ballot initiatives
that would ban gay marriages were introduced last
year in Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi and New
Mexico.
The Graves and O'Neal measures will be filed for
consideration during the Second Regular Session of
the 49th Oklahoma Legislature, which convenes Feb. 2.
