OFEC
ACTION ALERT
Please contact the Leadership of the
Oklahoma House of Representatives to urge them to
STOP the passage of anti-GLBT legislation that has
just been introduced. It is important that you
identify the bill number and short title when you
contact each legislator's office.
Larry Adair, Speaker
Phone: 405-557-7394
Fax: 405-557-7445
email: adairla@lsb.state.ok.us
Danny Hilliard, Speaker Pro Tempore
Phone: 405-557-7412
Fax: 405-962-7648
email: hilliardda@lsb.state.ok.us
Jari Askins, Speaker-elect
Phone: 405-557-7327
Fax: 580-522-3969
email: askinsja@lsb.state.ok.us
Call or Write Today!!! Ask them to stop these
measures that discriminate against GLBT Oklahomans
and their families.
HB 2207 - Graves - Same gender marriage
recognition
HJR 1045 - Graves - Constitutional amendment - same
gender relationships
HR 1027 - Balkman-Cargill - Disapproval of US Supreme
Court ruling invalidating state sodomy laws
For more information and to track the bills progress
go to www.oglpc.org/actioncenter.htm
WHAT'S
IN STORE FOR 2004?
Speakers: Jim Roth, Mark Henricksen, Rodney
Johnson, Karen Weldin, Terry Gatewood, Heidi Ruster,
Jean Ann Van Krevelen, Paul Thompson, Angela Flynt,
John Gibbons, Keith Smith, Rhonda Rudd, Chris Powell,
Jim Craig, Paula Sophia, Jeni Markham Clewell, Matt
McNeil, Joe Quigley, Chris Balderas, Chris Munoz,
Traci Hill, Richard Ogden, Margaret Cox, David
Templeton, Michelle Sigler. Plus representatives of
the Democratic Presidential candidates!
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.)
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. Click here
for the Gayly Oklahoman's article on the
meeting
COPA
TURNABOUT FOR THE CENTER
Wed, Jan 28
Open at 9PM, show at 10:30PM
Hosted by Kitty & Shemoane
All proceeds benefit The Center
LETTER
TO THE EDITOR
When will I not be an American any longer?
How ironic that religion is so often used as a
battering ram against human rights. But the dream of
equality persists precisely because it's built on a
theological foundation. It's sacred as well as
secular. And in the end, hopefully, this root value
will be our salvation. Concerning the court case in
Mass. I noticed immediately that the religious Reich
were all using the phrase "Everyone has an equal
right to marry. No matter if they are gay or not. Any
man can marry any woman." This was a part of all
of the talk shows. The religious Reich had already
prepared the talking points. What this made me
understand, like a light that had been flipped on,
occurred when I was listening to Elizabeth Birch that
same evening and it was this.... MARRIAGE WILL NOT
CHANGE. MARRIAGE IS A COVENANT INVOLVING THE CHURCH.
HOMOSEXUALS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MARRIED IN THE CHURCH
OF THEIR CHOICE. WHEN "THEY" ATTEMPT TO
SPEAK ON THE ISSUE ABOUT HOW IT WILL DESTROY THE
INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE, OUR RESPONSE SHOULD BE
"WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION, WE
CAN MARRY WITHIN OUR CHURCH ALREADY. YOU HAVE NO
RIGHT OR POWER TO MAKE MY CHURCH CONFORM TO YOURS"
WE ALSO HAVE THE FREEDOM FROM RELIGION SO WE SHOULD
BE FREE TO MARRY WITHOUT THE CHURCH. All of these
religious fundamentalists don't seem to understand
what they themselves are saying. Fundamentalists
think that a civil arrangement will affect their
religious covenant. Shouldn't fundamentalist worry
more about the religions that allow same gender
marriage?
When will the "light" turn on for the
fundamentalist? When fundamentalist demand their
religious superstitions have the control of the
American constitution, our constitution will fight
back. If fundamentalist get to push their
agenda then we all will benefit. The constitution
will win. All of us must be recognized as equal. Each
time amendments or any laws that are made to exclude
a single person from enjoying the promise made by our
founders and the guarantee of the constitution, the
efforts to destroy lives has failed. I am not a
leftist. I am a liberal. I believe liberals are the
blessed. Liberals most closely follow the teaching of
Jesus. The people that are on the far left and the
far right are the least American of all of our
citizens. Those who want to pervert the constitution
to their religious or anti-religious philosophy are
the traitors to all of us. The debate should be
allowed. But not at the expense of all Americans that
believe in the vision of a free people that our
founders hoped for.
I am completely torn on the issue of the
fundamentalist taking control of our America. Is that
what will have to happen to make the American people
understand what it is like to live in a theocracy? A
place where peoples lives are controlled by religious
superstitions? Where the leaders talk to their god
and god answers? (I find it so odd that God spoke so
seldom to his son, yet there are people alive today
that have a conversation with him every day. Where
are all of the new chapters in the Bible? God's new
words should be added to the book!)
Must the United States be place where their god tells
them what to do other people? A place where their god
is better than your god? Read the book "A
Handmaid's Tail." It is a fiction book that
details what appears to be going on in our America
today. A book that details what happens as soon as it
is decided that America is a nation that is
controlled by religious superstition (Protestant
fundamentalism). Is this what will have to happen?
They came and took my neighbor away and I said
nothing…………….it might be me
next…………
Edward Kromer
Oklahoma City
ODP
PRESIDENTIAL RALLY
CONFIRMED TO ATTEND:
U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman and Congressman Dennis
Kucinich
Governor Howard Dean and General Wesley Clark are
very close to committing!
Chairman Jay Parmley
Oklahoma Democratic Party State Central Committee
and
Oklahoma County Chair Kitti Asberry
Oklahoma County Democratic Party Central Committee
Invite You To
“COUNTDOWN WITH THE CAMPAIGNS”
A 2004 Oklahoma Presidential Primary Rally
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Doors open 4:45 p.m.
Rally begins at 5:30 p.m.
Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Arena
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
$35 per event ticket – food included!
Don’t miss this historic Presidential Primary
Rally.
Get your ticket today by sending payment to
4100 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
You may also purchase your tickets online.
www.okdemocrats.org
GOP
PRECINCT MEETINGS
Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Please contact local county organizations for
locations
State
Committee Directory
This is the first step in the grassroots of the
Republican party.
SISSY
UPDATE FROM ROBERT MATSON
Get stuck with us!! at www.tarsplace.com!!!
Growing & Learning with Sissy Newest
Webisode
It's late and the Christmas Pageant opens tomorrow
but Sissy is holding up production so he can have a
little word with God about why he was made different.
Elizabeth Ann Brooks, stars as the girl playing Mary,
who gives Sissy some spiritual help and Ellen Webster
plays the Director, who is about to have a nervous
breakdown, with David Mays as Sissy. It's a belated
Christmas special of Growing & Learning with
Sissy's latest episode titled, "God".
http://www.tarsplace.com/Webisode_Four.htm
Check out the
latest theatre openings in and around Oklahoma City.
An extra art tidbit. Ernesto Sanchez & Lin
Hartgrove-Sanchez, two big supporters of the theatre,
art and GLBT community have an art showing at The
Untitled Gallery. I went to the opening and their
work is amazing and eye-catching. Check it out.
http://www.tarsplace.com/index.html
Let us know what
you think. Please feel free to send this e-mail to
your friends and ask them to join our growing list.
Enjoy,
Robert & Terry
tarsplace@cox.net
TaRsPlace Motto:
Providing Computer Service and Website Development
with "Terry's Computer Service" and
producing original "Live Theatre"
entertainment for Oklahoma City's Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual and Transgendered community.
NW
CLASSEN UPDATE
Joe Quigley questions why teachers are
allowed to put up Martin Luther King displays but not
Gay History Month displays at NW Classen, and
disputes an interview with Dr Miller that was
recently posted on Hard News Online.
www.gayokc.com/quigley011604.htm
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 Thursday,
January 15th. 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.
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
THANKS
FOR VISITING!
