PRIMARY
FEB 3
Oklahoma's Presidential Preferential Primary
is next Tuesday, and Oklahoma's GLBT Democrats are
heavily involved as never before in this year's
election. Part of that is due to the the acceptance
of GLBT activists by the Oklahoma
Democratic Party - as reflected in the fact that Paul
Barby, who ran for office as an openly-Gay candidate,
is currently the Party's state secretary - and the Central
Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats was made an official Party
organization at the last state Democratic Party
convention. And part of it is from the move by then-senator
Keith Leftwich to move Oklahoma's primary date up.
This has placed Oklahoma in the front tier of state
primaries, focusing national attention on Oklahoma
that it has never gotten before and energizing
politics here in a way that can only come from being
wooed by several Presidential candidates at the same
trime.
And, of course, another part is Howard Dean, who won
the admiration of the GLBT Community when he signed
the nation's first civil unions law as governor of
Vermont. While many in our community are supporting
Dean for that reason, among others, there are others
in our community who are supporting other candidates,
such as Jim Roth and Terry Gatewood, who have
endorsed Wesley Clark (currently on the cover of The
Advocate).
All of them are sure to be a big part of the voter
turnout in this primary. While the polls will be open
on Tues, Feb 3, early voting actually started Friday.
Oklahoma
State Election Board
EDWARDS
IN OKC
You are cordially invited to join Senator
John Edwards
For his "America Works Best When It Works For
Everyone Tour"
Saturday, January 31, 1:30
Edwards For President GOTV Rally
United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local
344
4335 SW 44
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information call (405) 525-2000
KERRY
IN OKC
Current front-runner Kerry will be making a
rare Oklahoma appearance.
Saturday, January 31, 4:00 p.m.
John Kerry for President Rally
Come meet Senator Kerry
Firefighers Museum
2716 NE 50th Street
Info: Rachel Morse, okyoungdem@aol.com or politicalrachel@aol.com
CLARK
RALLY
Saturday, January 31, 6 p.m.
Rally for General Wesley Clark
Rupel Jones Theatre
563 Elm (Corner of Boyd and Elm)
Norman
NLA EVENT
Hello Everyone… NLA-OKC is having
their PPF Fundraiser this coming Saturday night
January 31st at the Finishline from 9 pm – 2 am.
Randall Kinnear will be our Emcee and we will have
several entertainment acts performing during the
night. There will be someone selling tickets
for drawings during every entertainment section and
of course, jell-o shots will be sold in the
Finishline and Copa all night long…
Every penny made will go to the PPF Fund and be
divided in half and sent to both the NCSF and the
LA&M. We invite all you other kinky
Oklahoma folks out to join NLA-OKC in raising some
money for two very worthwhile Lifestyle organizations.
We’ll be there until 2 am so come late if you
have to… but please come…
The PPF Fund is an exciting way to support two
fantastic organizations dedicated to protecting the
past and future of our Community. How can you support
this cause?
You can make a donation directly to either
organization by snail mail (at the address listed
below). Please make your check payable to either
Leather Archives & Museum, National Coalition for
Sexual Freedom, or send a check for each! You can
also make a direct donation to either organization
electronically at http://ppffund.org.
The preferred way to support this event is to attend
the MANY PPF events that will be scheduled across
North America. The clubs and bars hosting these
events will commit to donating a portion of the event
proceeds to this cause.
Why should you donate to the LA&M or the NCSF
through the PPF Fund, instead of directly?
On Saturday, January 31, 2004, across North America
we are asking that everyone involved with a club,
munch, bar, etc., get their Community involved by
hosting an event at the local Leather/Kink friendly
bars on this date. We would like a portion of these
proceeds to be donated equally to the LA&M and
the NCSF through the PPF Fund. Get involved! Be part
of this North America – wide fundraising event!
If you're interested in attending a PPF event, are a
bar or nightclub owner who would like to host an
event, or a Leather club that would like to organize
a PPF night: Then please contact us now! We have a
calendar of PPF events, and can tell you what's
happening in your area. Or, we can list your PPF Fund
event on our calendar.
The first night scheduled for PPF Fund events is
January 31, 2004. This inaugural event will benefit
both the LA&M and the NCSF. We'll then have
events on a quarterly basis, benefiting one and then
the other.
These organizations need the support of our community
in order to protect our history, as well as our
future freedom. If we don't help them, no one will.
So please... "Give `till it hurts"
Tammie Nelson, International Ms Leather 2003
John Schmitt, Indiana Leather editor, Midwest Ursine
Beneficiaries:
Leather Archives & Museum, http://leatherarchives.org
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, http://ncsfreedom.org
Thanks so much
for your support. And feel free to crosspost
this to other lists as you feel they are appropriate.
In Leather Pride,
~Michelle
NLA-OKC Co-Chair
Tribal Fire
Vendor Coordinator
LLC Board
Member
BAT
BOY
Preview of Bat Boy: The Musical
To Benefit RAIN Oklahoma
Tulsa—Following last summer’s highly
successful run of Bat Boy: The Musical,
American Theatre Company is bringing the show back
for a second run at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center
February 6-14.
ATC is graciously allowing RAIN Oklahoma to sell
tickets to their dress rehearsal of Bat Boy
on Wednesday, February 4 at 8:00 pm. Tickets for this
preview are only $5.00. All proceeds from the
February 4 performance will go to RAIN (Regional AIDS
Interfaith Network), which provides non-medical
assistance to people living with AIDS throughout
Oklahoma.
Rescued from a cave, a half-boy, half-bat is taken to
a veterinarian's home to be "put down." The
empathetic wife of the vet has other ideas, and with
loving guidance teaches "Edgar" to speak
and act in civilized ways. When he falls in love with
his mentor's daughter, problems erupt that go beyond
typical dating issues. Fast-paced and hilarious, this
off-kilter satire offers clever musical numbers, a
hilarious plot, surprising twists, and a lesson in
the agony of being different and accepting your inner
beast. The show contains some adult situations and
may not be suitable for young children.
Michael Smith of the Tulsa World called last
summer’s production of Bat Boy “A
smash, the hippest, most hilarious show on a PAC
stage in a long time.”
Tickets for the RAIN benefit performance are general
admission and can be reserved by calling Justice at
the Tulsa RAIN office at (918) 834-4195, or emailing
Justice at raintulsa@sbcglobal.net.
Tickets for the regular run of Bat Boy: The Musical
are $20-$24. They can be purchased at the Tulsa
Performing Arts center ticket office or reserved by
phone at (918) 596-7111 Monday thru Friday from 10:00
am to 5:30 pm. Tickets may also be purchased at www.tulsapac.com.
SONJA
& FRIENDS
My guests for Friday, February 6, are
Lynnette Stroebele and Roxy Hart. Show Time 8:00 PM
To 9:00 PM At Partners. Thank You,
Sonja
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.
OFEC
ISSUES ACTION ALERT ON SJR 38
Dear OFEC Members and Supporters,
A bill has been filed in the Oklahoma Senate. Please
read and take action today!
Karen Weldin
Rodney Johnson
OFEC Co-Chairs
Info@OFEC.org
www.ofec.org
STOP the passage
of anti-GLBT legislation that has just been
introduced
Senate Republican Floor Leader James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa,
introduced legislation, SJR 38, to send a “defense
of marriage” constitutional amendment to a vote
of the people. Williamson’s constitutional
amendment would define marriage as “the union of
one man and one woman,” and would prohibit the
state from recognizing same-gender marriages
performed in other states. The amendment also states,
“Neither this Constitution nor any other
provision of law shall be construed to require that
marital status or the legal incidents thereof be
conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.”
Take Action Now! Tell your senator the you will not
stand for this type of divisive, mean-spirited law
that were designed to single out and marginalize an
entire group of Oklahomans for unequal treatment."
I ask you to tell your senator we will not
marginalize any Oklahoman by voting no on SJR 38.
Take Action!
"MARRIAGE
PROTECTION" AMENDMENT INTRODUCED IN OK SENATE
The following press release was issued
by senator Williamson's office on Friday, January 23.
Senate Republican Leader Introduces ‘Marriage
Protection’ Amendment
Williamson Appeals for Governor Henry’s
Leadership, Support on Issue
State Capitol, Oklahoma City – Senate Republican
Floor Leader James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa, today
introduced legislation, SJR 38, to send a “defense
of marriage” constitutional amendment to a vote
of the people.
“As President Bush noted in his State of the
Union address, the sanctity of marriage is under
assault from activist judges in America today,”
Williamson said. “Amending our state
Constitution is the best way we can ensure
traditional marriage is protected here in Oklahoma.”
Williamson’s constitutional amendment would
define marriage as “the union of one man and one
woman,” and would prohibit the state from
recognizing same-gender marriages performed in other
states. The amendment also states, “Neither this
Constitution nor any other provision of law shall be
construed to require that marital status or the legal
incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples
or groups.”
Williamson said despite recent remarks by Gov. Brad
Henry that additional protections for marriage are
not needed, Oklahoma is at risk of a court decision
like last year’s ruling by the Massachusetts
Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage in that state.
“I asked the Senate’s general counsel to
review the Massachusetts case to determine if an
activist Oklahoma judge could make a similar ruling
based on the working of our state Constitution. The
answer was, yes, there is a risk that this type of
ruling could occur in Oklahoma.
“This is why Oklahoma needs a constitutional
amendment to protect traditional marriage.
Republicans are appealing to Gov. Henry to change his
mind about this important issue and join us in a
bipartisan effort to constitutionally protect
marriage in Oklahoma,” Williamson stated.
Williamson said he also supports legislation by House
Republicans that encourages the U.S. Congress to
provide federal constitutional protections for
marriage.
“Protecting traditional marriage is one the most
important social and moral issues of the day.
Encouraging Congress to take action at the federal
level is a very important part of protecting
traditional marriage in the United States,” he
stated.
Rep. Mike O’Neal, R-Enid, is the House co-author
of SJR 38.
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!
i 
