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Part One:
January - June
Part Two:
July - September
Part
Three: October - December
October
Gay
and Lesbian History Month
Oct 2:
Pictures taken by Joe Quigley of the very first
GLBT History Month display ever allowed at NW
Classen High School are posted on the front page
of GayOKC.com.
Oct 3: Joe Quigley wants the YGLA flier
put back on "our" Community Bulletin
Board at NW Classen High School.
www.gayokc.com/quigley100303.htm
Oct 4: You'll want to check out
the Soulforce
In Oklahoma website for the latest
developments on important situations taking shape
right now:
Conservative Episcopalians
in Oklahoma who reject recently adopted
positions regarding homosexuality,
including the election of Rev Gene
Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, are
working to form an Oklahoma chapter of
the American Anglican Council. Members of
Soulforce in Oklahoma attended a meeting
at All Soul's Episcopal Church on
September 20th and a report is on the SIO
website.
On Monday, September 22nd
Soulforce in Oklahoma volunteers met with
Rev. Wade Burleson, President of the
Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma at
the Baptist Convention building here in
Oklahoma City. A report on that meeting
is now online.
SOI volunteers will be
attending a special Coming Out Day expo
in Jerry Falwell's own hometown of
Lynchburg, Virginia.
Focus On The Family will
bring its "Love Won Out"
conference to "convert"
homosexuals to Bethany First Church of
the Nazarene on Saturday, October 25th.
Welcoming congregations in OKC will be
responding by presenting a "Love
Welcomes All" ecumenical service on
Sunday, October 26th at 6:30 p.m. at
Cathedral of Hope in OKC. SOI has invited
Bethany First's pastor Lewis McClain to
attend this service. Details are on the
SOI website.
Howard
Dean campaigns in Norman.
Oct
5: On October 5, 1998, twenty-one year old Gay
college student Matthew Shepard was beaten
unconscious, tied to a fence outside of Laramie,
Wyoming and left for dead. On October 12, 1998,
Matthew Shepard died of his injuries in a
hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Oct 6: Principal Davis' email
about the YGLA flier.
www.gayokc.com/quigley100603.htm
Oct 8: Updates from Joe Quigley.
www.gayokc.com/quigley100803.htm
Oct
10: Candidates filed this week for state
senate district 44, the seat left vacant by the
unexpected death of Keith Leftwich. The sole
Democratic candidate is Leftwich's widow, Debbe,
who is also co-chair of the Oklahoma Democratic
Party. Four Republicans have filed, and one
Libertarian attempted to file but was rejected by
the Election Board because Oklahoma does not
currently recognize the Libertarian Party. The
Party is currently in the midst of a ballot
access drive, and state chair Chris Powell said
it may sue the state. Oklahoma is considered to
have among the most restrictive ballot access
laws in the nation.
A primary election is scheduled for November 18.
The general election will be December 9.
Oct 11: National Coming Out Day.
Central
Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats hosts Eleanor
Roosevelt birthday party. Two prominent Oklahoma
politicians have donated prizes to a silent
auction to help celebrate the 119th birthday of
Eleanor Roosevelt. The birthday party is a fund
raising event sponsored by the Central
Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats and will take place
Saturday, October 11, 7PM at the Oklahoma
Democratic Party headquarters, located in the
Krumme Center, 4100 N. Lincoln Boulevard in OKC.
Included in the auction is a dinner for six, with
Governor David and Rhonda Walters as hosts.
Dinner will be served by Eva Jo Sparks and Keith
Smith, with ambient music provided by Mainly
Strings.
An additional item is a wine-and-cheese tasting
party for up to 20 guests with 2nd District
Congressman Brad Carson and Mrs. Carson as
special guests.
Dates and locations for both items will be
arranged at a mutually convenient time for the
hosts and the winning bidders.
OKC
mayor Kirk Humphreys apparently desires to be
former mayor of OKC. At least that is the
speculation regarding a press conference
scheduled for Monday in Tulsa. Humphreys has
hinted that he will run for Nickles' senate seat
when he retires. Several other possible
candidates have expressed interest in that seat
as well
Oct 12: Fifth anniversary of
the death of Matthew Shepard.
Oct 13:
Oct
14: As
we approach the middle mark of October I thought
I would pass on an observation from another
teacher.
The Gay History Month display has been up all
month!
It seems the anticipated resulting apocalypse has
yet to happen. In the past the expressed fear
seemed to be of rampant recruitment, uncontrolled
behavior that would make Caligula blush, on going
Sodom and Gomorra activities, perhaps a bolt of
lightning or two from the Deity of choice, "sodomites"
pouring into the building to wreak havoc while
handing out pornographic literature, every pastor
of every denomination in the city arriving
enmasse to exorcise the demons, and the subtle
but obvious presence of the stench of fire and
brimstone.
Instead it seems all those fears that someone
somewhere might complain, or the gates of hell
would be wrenched loose have not happened.
Rather, all the ills of the school, a botched
master schedule that has classes overcrowded,
students with holes in their schedules, the lack
of support for teachers in the area of discipline
so that the students know they are truly in
charge, lack of morale (not low morale, but an
absolute lack thereof), receiving the ever touted
Pass Objectives 7 weeks after school started, the
sudden appearance and disappearance of students
from our class roll sheets etc. are the real
problems created by those who put more worry into
imagined ills than attention to what should have
been given it.
Education cannot take place in an atmosphere
where the fear that someone might complain limits
the knowledge teachers can pass on to kids. All
the previous imagined and invented "reasons"
for forbidding positive information for our Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Students were
just that, imagined and invented to justify a
bias.
In the last four years at the school, one has to
wonder how many students were lost, and one has
to admit this is a pitiful shame.
Joe Quigley
The OKC Gay & Lesbian Wedding Expo, which I
had been planning along with Jim Craig, is being
postponed indefinitely due to the fact that Jim
has been accepted into seminary earlier than he
expected and will not be able to devote his time
to helping organize this event, plus the fact
that I have not had a chance to recruit a
replacement in time to make our target date,
which was to have been the latter part of January
2004. If anyone out there would like to take on
the responsibility of helping me organize this
event for a later date, I would love to hear from
you. For the time being, however, I will be
focusing my energies on the second edition of The
State of Our Community, which will be in late
January of 2004.
Democratic
presidential candidates Joe Lieberman and Dennis
Kucinich will be swinging through Oklahoma next
week. Lieberman will be in Oklahoma on October 14th,
with 2 stops scheduled in OKC that morning:
Fairview Baptist Church, 721 N Rhode Island and
Fraternal Order of Police, 1624 S Agnew. Kucinich
will arrive later that day in his own private
plane at Wiley Post Airport.
Oct 16: The big news is, of
course, the announcement by our mayor, Kirk
Humphreys, that he will resign to campaign for
the Senate seat being vacated by the retirement
of Don Nickles. Many in the GLBT Community are
saying "good riddance", remembering
that Humphreys' term has been marked by overt
homophobia - including the refusal of permission
to fly Pride banners on Classen, which resulted
in a lawsuit and victory by the Cimarron Alliance
Foundation and the ACLU. At the same, though,
they are cringing at the possibility of Kirk
Humphreys representing Oklahoma in Washington.
Would he be another Steve Largent?
Humphreys' exit means that candidates are
preparing to run to replace him as mayor. One who
is already getting ready to announce his
candidacy is Mick Cornett, who put on his own
display of homophobia during his campaign for
city council when he was turned down a donation
from the Cimarron Alliance Group when it was
pointed out to him that they were a Gay rights
organization.
Oct 19: Cimarron Alliance
Foundation holds annual Coach House Dinner
Oct
22: Joe
Quigley's latest update on the situation at NW
Classen makes reference to the legacy of Mayor
Humphreys: "Remember how during his
deposition at the Banners hearings the
overwhelming number of irate phone calls to the
mayor actually turned out to be less than 20 with
the majority supporting the banners."
www.gayokc.com/quigley102203.htm
Anthea Maton writes: "Rob, I'm having an
exhibition of my art next Wednesday, October 22nd.
The exhibition is called 'Perception and
Expression' and will be held at Phillip Matthew's
Interia design studio, Studio 2410, at 2410 N.
Robinson. The show opens 6 - 8pm that day. The
show will include my kaleidoscope containing
furniture, an installation piece, some
monoprints, sculpture and my 15 back-lit pieces.
This is my last exhibition for the time being as
I'm returning to England in December for the
foreseeable future."
Oct 25: "Love Won Out"
ex-gay ministry comes to OKC. Don't forget to join the
Interfaith Diversity and Equality Alliance, the
Peace House and the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian
Political Caucus for a rally across the street
from the "Love Won Out" homosexuality-can-be-cured-by-religion
conference at the Bethany First Church of the
Nazarene at NW 39th & Mueller. The rally will
take place from 11AM-1PM. Then at 3PM Wayne Besen
will be at the Church of the Open Arms to talk
about and sign copies of his new book Anything
But Straight which exposes the myths of the
"ex-gay" movement.
Besen's editorial, "Love Won Out? The
Selling of False Hope to Vulnerable People"
is posted on the front page of GayOKC.com.
Oct 26: OKC welcoming
congregations respond with "Love Welcomes
All". We will celebrate our annual Unity
Service this year on Sunday, October 26 at 6:30 p.m.
during our regular worship service. Pastors and
members from several local, open and affirming
churches, such as Epworth United Methodist,
Church of the Open Arms, First Unitarian Church,
will join the Cathedral of Hope-OKC in a spirit
of solidarity and celebration. Cathedral of Hope-OKC
is proud to host this special evening as we not
only affirm lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender people but celebrate our identities
and the special gifts that we bring to the world.
Please plan to attend this special evening and
join with sisters and brothers from all over OKC
who stand with us.
Oct
27: Matt
McNeil, Stonewall Democrat and OGLPC member and
known to many for his emails under the user name
tvlampboy, relates an incident at a local tanning
salon which indicates a hypocritical and
dismissive attitude towards that establishment's
large GLBT clientele.
www.gayokc.com/mcneil102603.htm
Pam Paul
writes that there is a Yahoo! Group for GLBT
supporters of Howard Dean in the OKC area at groups.yahoo.com/group/outfordean-okc. Pam is the moderator,
and the group is affiliated with the national Out
For Dean group. Pam also wants to remind Dean
supporters that the next OKC Dean meetup is Nov 5
at 7PM at Oklahoma Democratic Party headquarters,
4100 N Lincoln. Pam may be reached at deanforokc@cox.net.
Oct
29:
Kudos to Jim Craig, Nathaniel Batchelder, Wayne
Besen and everyone else involved in organizing
this weekend's "responses" to Focus on
the Family's "Love Won Out" conference.
Yes, the wind was blowing on Saturday but it
didn't stop the rally from going ahead (hey, this
IS Oklahoma!) Yes, just about every car that went
by honked their horn in support of our protest.
Yes, Wayne Besen is a dynamic speaker whose book
"Anything But Straight" fills an
important need. Yes, the "Love Welcomes All"
unity service organized by the GLBT-friendly
churches of OKC on Sunday night was packed and,
yes, the pastor of Bethany First Church of the
Nazarene did attend. And yes, a press conference
was held last Wednesday where a statement was
issued, signed by 16 local ministers and a nun,
supporting inclusion of Gays and Lesbians in all
faith communities and extending to them full and
equal rights, including ordination and marriage.
But the real reason I am posting this is because
I want every visitor to this page who was not
there on Saturday to know about the young man who
was coerced by his stepfather into attending the
conference, and when the conference was over, the
young man crossed the street to where the
protesters were and said, "I need a hug."
Oct
29: Matt
McNeil, Stonewall Democrat and OGLPC member and
known to many for his emails under the user name
tvlampboy, relates an incident at a local tanning
salon which indicates a hypocritical and
dismissive attitude towards that establishment's
large GLBT clientele.
www.gayokc.com/mcneil102603.htm
Pride Network Incorporated announces logo
contest. PNI has chosen "Stand Out
. . . Stand Proud" as the theme for the 2004
Pride season.
Pam Paul writes that there is a Yahoo!
Group for GLBT supporters of Howard Dean in the
OKC area at groups.yahoo.com/group/outfordean-okc.
November
Nov
1: Well,
I've just been perusing the new issue of the Oklahoma
Gazette, and after reading George Lang's
latest installment of "Noise", I'm
asking myself: what the heck is going on here? A
song called "Gay Bar"? The biggest
audience of their US tour at the Green Door? In
Oklahoma City?! Whoa! www.electricsix.com
Senator
John Edwards, who has visited Oklahoma more than
any other presidential candidate, will return to
the state once again this Saturday, November 1.
Edwards will join supporters, endorsees and
volunteers at a rally just before attending the
OU/OSU Bedlam Battle.
Nov 3: Canon Gene Robinson was installed
as the first Gay bishop in the Episcopal Church
in a 3 hour ceremony - including ten minutes
spent listening to objections - before 4,000
people in Durham, New Hampshire on Sunday.
Received the following Sunday morning from Joe
Quigley:
This
morning on Flashpoint, Mayor Kirk was asked
if he would fire a Gay man who was otherwise
qualified. He said, "I believe they
should have all the rights under the
constitution, but I do not think they should
be a protected class".
Kirk
Humphreys is stepping down as mayor of Oklahoma
City and is expected to run for the US Senate.
Nov 4: Joe Quigley
reports on the situation at NW Classen now that
GLBT History Month is over. www.gayokc.com/quigley110403.htm
Karen Weldin writes: "Last
week was a busy week of dialogue and miracles for
Soulforce in Oklahoma. We attended an ecumenical
Unity Service in OKC with Nazarene leaders who
sponsored the Love Won Out conference in Bethany
on October 25th; we spent an afternoon in Tulsa
dialoguing with Oklahoma Southern Baptist
leaders; and we have made plans to sit down with
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Arkansas/Oklahoma Synod Bishop to discuss how all
thirty-seven ELCA churches can study the new
resource on homosexuality mandated to them by
November 2004." www.gayokc.com/soulforceok110403.htm
Nov 6-8: OUT-OK TAKE II In a land of opportunities,
options are plentiful. OUT OK comes but once a
year. CARPE DIEM. PREMIERE: Oklahoma City;
November 6-8, 2003. Northpark Cinema/Mall, N. May
Ave. and 122nd. and University of Central
Oklahoma, 100 N. University Dr.
www.gayokc.com/outok101103.htm
Nov 11: Oklahoma's Southern
Baptists affirmed on Tuesday that "legal and biblical
marriage can only occur between one man and one
woman."
Joe Quigley reports on the GSA at NW Classen. www.gayokc.com/quigley111003.htm
Nov 13: Joe Quigley's latest report: www.gayokc.com/quigley111303.htm
Nov
15: Herland Sister Resources celebrates their 20th
Anniversary with a Reunion Open House and concert.
Annual ACLU of Oklahoma Bill of Rights Banquet is
held - Keith Smith receives the Angie Debo Civil
Libertarian Award.
Nov 18: Pro . . . Today
is an exciting day of victory for LGBT people all
over the United States because the Massachusetts
Supreme Court has legalized gay marriage! As I
recently stated, "Gay and lesbian people
have always known that our relationships are holy
even though they have not been sanctioned by
individual states." And while our
relationships will always be holy, the
Massachusetts Supreme Court has ruled today that
it is time to ensure that our relationships have
the same protection and rights that heterosexual
relationships have. In their ruling they stated,
"WE DECLARE that barring an individual from
the protections, benefits, and obligations of
civil marriage solely because that person would
marry a person of the same sex violates the
Massachusetts Constitution."
I respectfully salute community leaders and
activists in Massachusetts who have worked
diligently to bring equality to that state's
marriage laws.
The Massachusetts court left the details of the
same-sex marriage issue to the Legislature and
there is already a strong movement from opponents
to amend the state constitution with anti-gay
legislation. I issue a fervent call today for the
Massachusetts legislature to act quickly in
passing legislation recognizing same-sex
marriages.
I was interviewed this afternoon by Channel 5
News and the story will run this evening at 6:00
p.m. Channel 5 will run a short story in which
both sides of this issue will be discussed.
Prepare to hear from OK State Representative
Forrest Claunche who opposes this ruling and who
is prepared to fight against gay marriage
legislation in the state of Oklahoma.
Let us be mindful that our work in Oklahoma, our
nation, and the world is far from over and yet
let us claim victory for each step that is made
toward true equality and true justice. Our
marriages deserve the same dignity as
heterosexual marriages and I, along with many
allies and supporters, will continue to work with
other communities of faith and justice seeking
groups to ensure that all relationships of all
LGBT people are honored and protected.
In solidarity,
Rev. Tessie Mandeville
Pastor, Cathedral of Hope Oklahoma City
tmandeville@cathedralofhope.com
(405) 232-4673
. . . &
Con Upon hearing of the Massachusetts
Supreme Court’s gay marriage decision,
Oklahoma state Rep. Lance Cargill, R-Harrah,
stated, “Today four judges in a small New
England state have overturned a millennium of
common law.” He further declared that
Supreme Court Justice Scalia “warned us this
would happen after the Lawrence decision striking
down the Texas sodomy law.”
“Just as counterfeiting currency can destroy
a nation’s economy and monetary system,
recognizing counterfeits to marriage, like ‘gay
marriage’, will wreak havoc throughout the
social and moral fabric of our country.”
State Rep. Thad Balkman, R-Norman, said he was
concerned about the future effects of the
decision, “We have to be prepared in
Oklahoma to deal with radical activists employing
the ‘full faith and credit’ clause of
the U.S. Constitution to force us to recognize
these so-called marriages.”
Balkman continued, “It is a sad day when
judges, who are supposed to uphold the law,
utterly reject God’s eternal law of nature.”
To try and counter the effects of this decision,
Cargill and Balkman are set to introduce a
resolution to the Oklahoma Legislature decrying
this judicial usurpation of democracy. It calls
on the United States Congress to pass a
constitutional amendment defending traditional
marriage and for the Oklahoma Legislature to be
the first in the country to ratify such an
amendment.
Nov 19: I
didn't think I would have to write again so soon
(at all, for that matter), but there is a need.
Back in 1997 I asked that the District offer
inservices for faculty and staff about the
existence and needs of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgendered Students so that teachers would be
aware that these students are in our schools even
if unlike other goups to which our students may
belong they are not so obvious. An invisible
minority if you will.
If faculty and staff assume these kids do not
exist in our schools, or assume that only those
students who may fit a stereotype are Gay, they
may not be as quick as they should be to stop
hateful name calling or the derogatory use of
certain terms both acceptable under certain
circumstances and totally unacceptable under any.
They might also be unaware that they are using
terms or anectdotes that may be offensive and
demeaning to students in their rooms, or their
parents, friends, or classmates, and could
inadvertantly be creating an unwelcoming
atmosphere in their rooms, and a potentially
unsafe environment throughout the building as
some students may feel justified in harassmant or
violence because they perceive it to be correct,
if not encouraged
The students who may be GLBT or even Questioning
will not be in the best place to develop a
healthy attitude and positive self-esteem.
The NWClassen experience should have been an
indication enough that too many attitudes of
people who set the tone were not based on neutral
policies, but rather religious (as stated by both
an assistant principal at an on site meeting with
the building rep, and the first chair of the
Diversity in Education Committee that imploded in
1998), or political beliefs-the very things that
neutral school policies are created to protect
students and their education from.
Today a teacher having read the news item on the
Massachusetts Supreme Court's ruling on the
unconstitutionality of a law banning Gay Marriage
in that state launched into a rant in total
opposition to the ruling. In class, infront of
students he expressed his disgust and God's
offense.
He could be heard in the hall.
Had the information merely been supplied as a
current event, one among many perhaps, that would
have simply been informative. If it was the topic
of a guided classroom discussion of current
events, and provided it was handled correctly it
may have been somewhat positive, but it was just
a topic for a rant. And not a very positive
portrayal of GLBT people in any way.
Certainly if he were aware of the possibility of
GLBT Students in his room, or the possibility
that some students in his room may have "same-sex"
parents, and perhaps if he had correct
information, in spite of his own personal beliefs
on the subject, no matter on what they are based,
he would have kept them outside the classroom.
The District certainly allowed for this mistake
as the need for these inservices goes ignored.
But how do you now cancel out the misinformation
imparted, or correct any damage that was done?
This sort of thing can be prevented.
The district needs to make it public within the
district, at least, that we do not discriminate
against our GLBT students, and it needs to hold
inservices for faculty and staff in the area of
sensitivity toward the GLBT Students as is done
for all other groups to which our students belong.
With some of our students we covered sensitivity
toward them when it came to their obvious race or
ethnicity, but we missed the GLBT part.
Joe Quigley
Balkman-Cargill Overboard, by
Karen Webb.
RESOLUTION condemning gays to either a life
of crime or alone.
WHEREAS, the Oklahoma Legislature wishes to
express its disapproval of the recent ruling of
the United States Supreme Court invalidating
state anti-sodomy laws; and because
we want to make sure we can do what we want and
gays can't do what they want.
WHEREAS, the Court's opinion improperly relies
upon the laws of foreign countries as a ground
for striking down American laws; and we want
to make sure the US never agrees to any
international law because we want to stay in the
dark ages forever.
WHEREAS, the Court's opinion improperly suggests
that the moral concerns and opinions of the
people of a state are, in and of themselves,
insufficient bases for state laws regulating
human conduct; and we think the state laws
requiring segregation should also be re-instated.
It was a huge mistake attempting to force them to
let African Americans vote. Each state should
have their own voting laws.
WHEREAS, the Court's reasoning suggests that
other, morality based prohibitions on otherwise
consensual conduct, such as the general
prohibitions against prostitution, bigamy,
bestiality and homosexual marriage, among others,
may also be invalid; and we
furthermore want to suggest that if this becomes
law Cheney's daughter might decide to marry
Bush's Barney, making Dubya and Laura, Mary's
owners by marriage. That would make the Cheney's,
Barney's Mom and Dad-in-law. Since Barney was
dropped it could have done damage to his ability
to distinguish his own species and he might think
Mary is in heat and ripe for marriage, WOOF,
WOOF, WOOOOO-OOOOF. They might have really cute
children with more bite than their Grandmother
Lynn, but where would they live. Besides that,
Dubya might drop the Cheney's grand pets. I am
not sure bestiality is consensual.
WHEREAS, the only proper marriage is that
occurring between one man and one woman, and just
as counterfeiting a currency has the potential to
bankrupt an economy, counterfeiting the venerable
institution of marriage by claiming that
homosexual relationships are equal to
heterosexual relationships has the same potential
to wreak havoc on social life as Americans know
it. Commandment 11: Thou shalt not
wreak havoc on social life as Americans know it,
except, of course, Americans who happen to be gay
and deserve to have their social life wreaked or
wrecked.
Now, therefore, be it resolved that
The Oklahoma Legislature condemns the United
States Supreme Court for its improper ruling
concerning state sodomy laws and calls on the
Court to reverse its regrettable and erroneous
ruling; and if need be, put it back like it
was and lock up all heterosexual sodomites.
Furthermore let the congress rip out the
constitutional provision regarding seperation of
powers and the part about equal protection. It
should be illegal for Mormons to wear or sell
Holy Underwear on the internet because it
infringes on the free enterprise of Fruit of the
Loom and Hanes.
Should the Court fail to reverse its ruling, the
Oklahoma Legislature requests that the United
States Congress pass a federal constitutional
amendment overruling the Court's decision and
prohibiting homosexual marriage throughout the
United States; and we furthermore think the
US congress should be allowed to write and
interpret the constitution. If need be, either
put a hit on the liberal section of the court or
just legislate that part out of the Constitution
about the Supreme Court before they nullify the
people's wishes by re-electing another idiot.
The Oklahoma Legislature, on behalf of the
citizens of Oklahoma, expresses its intent to see
that Oklahoma is the first state in the union to
ratify the new amendment to the federal
constitution. If the Democratic
controlled Oklahoma legislature passes this
bigoted, sanctimonious piece of crap they should
be lined up and shot.
Nov 20: Transgender Remembrance
Day
Nov
22:
Oklahoma City's 15th "Fall Peace
Festival" will take place Saturday,
November 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the
downtown Civic Center Music Hall's "Hall of
Mirrors." Organizations represented at the
festival include groups like Amnesty
International, Herland Sister Resources, United
Nations Association, World Neighbors, NAACP,
Vegetarians of Oklahoma City, Esperanza en
Accion, Department of Environmental Quality,
Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Skyline
Urban Ministries, Sierra Club, Oklahoma Gay and
Lesbian Political Caucus, RESULTS Hunger Project,
Central Oklahoma Human Rights Alliance, and
Metropolitan Fair Housing Council.
"Political
Hacks" hold annual Chili Cook-off.
Supporters of Winds House hold fundraiser. The
officers and directors of ASP, Inc. Invite you to
a holiday fundraiser hosted by
Roy Brown and Dr. Aline Brown
Debbie Buckles and Rick Buckles*
Sheryl Colton
Sally Hasenfratz (President, 1996)
Rick Moses (President, 1998)
Bill Powell (President, 1997 & 2001)
Commissioner Jim Roth (President, 2000) and Worth
Ross
At the home of Richard Ogden (President, 1999)
and Mike McLain
Nov 27: Thanksgiving Day
Nov 29: Democratic presidential candidate Wesley
Clark visits OKC.
December
Dec
1: World AIDS Day "Live and Let Live" What:
Panel Discussion and ceremony covering the topics
of HIV/AIDS worldwide, HIV Treatment information
and the effects of HIV on the African American
Population. Also, a ceremony to remember
individuals infected and affected by the virus;
past, present and future. Where: Plaza Hotel,
4300 Lincoln Blvd, OKC. Host: HICAP (HIV
Community Awareness Project - African American
Effort). Sponsor: Gilead Sciences
Dec 4: Langston
University Association of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
Students, and Friends (LUAGSF) hold their last
meeting for this semester.
Dec 5: Central Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats
issues action alert. Please CALL CONGRESSMAN CARSON
immediately and urge him to retract statements to
the Daily Oklahoman! Congressman Brad Carson (D -
Claremore) recently told the Daily Oklahoman that
he SUPPORTS the proposed Federal Marriage
Amendment, which will define marriage as between
a man and a woman. CONTACT CONGRESSMAN CARSON and
tell him that you and other Democrats in Oklahoma
DO NOT AGREE WITH HIS PREJUDICIAL STATEMENT. Tell
him that you urge him to reconsider, if he wants
the support of the GLBT community and our allies
in his race for United States Senate!
OkiesforDean.com Well, she is
ready... I have published a non-official web site
for Oklahoma Volunteers at all levels! This is an
all inclusive site. Please add relevant
information by emailing me with the details!
Please email comments. Please use and enjoy. This
is a fun, resource tool for all of us!! This site
is not intended to replace any other, it is just
a project I have been working on! I thank you for
your support!!
This site will be updated daily, and offer the
best information I can find relevant to Howard
Dean, and Oklahoma!
Please give me your names so I may add to our
endorsement list!! ("Okies for Dean"
page.)
www.okiesfordean.com
Thanks!!
Pam Paul
Dec 6: Matt Gephardt, son of Rep.
Dick Gephardt, will campaign on his father's
behalf this weekend in Oklahoma City, Shawnee,
Ponca City and Guthrie on Sat, Dec 6.
Dec 7: Soulforce in
Oklahoma begins offering training to help prepare
people to stand up and speak out about equal
civil marriage rights and to express opposition
to the Federal Marriage Amendment.
Dec 8 & 9: Sonja
Martinez presents her 13th annual Loaves &
Fishes benefit at the Copa. ½ the price
of every ticket goes to Loaves & Fishes. This
year's guest performers are Angie Brady, Alison
Scott and John Beebe.
Senator
John Edwards will make his 11th trip to Oklahoma
on Monday, December 8 through Tuesday, December 9.
Dec 9: Voters in Senate District
44 choose Democrat Debbe Leftwich over Republican
Brian Maughn.
Dec 15: Statewide GLBT coalition
announced. You are cordially invited to
join a growing number of Oklahoma organizations
and faith groups who support equal civil marriage
rights and oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment
in an Oklahoma statewide coalition.There is
tremendous work that needs to be done to defeat
the so-called federal marriage amendment, the
state resolution or amendment and our fight for
equal rights. The Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian
Political Caucus, Soulforce in Oklahoma, and
other organizations are in the process of
building a coalition of GLBT groups and
supportive organizations in an effort to build a
coordinated campaign to effect social and
legislative change. It is time for us to join in
a statewide campaign that builds on each of our
organization’s mission and goals. We are
planning a summit in Stroud, Oklahoma on January
9-10 2004. If ever there was a time for us to
come together and be united, it is now! We would
like to invite you to join us in this effort. If
your organization would like to be a part of this
coalition—call us today!
Contact:
Rodney Johnson,
Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus
(405) 872-1373 or
politick@red-river.us
Karen Weldin,
Soulforce in Oklahoma
(918) 452-2761 or
Karen@soulforce.org
Joe
Quigley recognizes Jacqeline Gatewood. Every
GLBT person is an activist from those who by
choice or circumstance become the recognizable
faces of the fight for our rights by appearing on
T.V., on radio as a guest or topic, or the local
print and broadcast media to those who pull up to
a bar in an easily identifiable car and WALK into
the establishment in a comfortable and natural
manner.
In spite of a few exceptions, any advances in the
rights of GLBT people has come about not because
of some monolithic national action, but as a
result of an action based on commitment by some
unknown, quiet little individual man or woman who
simply did what needed to be done (it is always
so obvious and clear to them) and stuck to their
guns. There was no fanfare. They just did the
natural.
Most GLBT activists are like anyone else who may
have done what anyone would have done under the
same circumstances, but who found that in all the
eons of the universe's existence it somehow fell
on them. And it need not be spectacular. The
first Gay
Man who went to work wearing an earring changed
the world without even knowing it, and none of us
will ever know his name.
And for those who are not sure, the very fact
that you accept yourself and are yourself is in
and of itself an act of GLBT activism. The big
moments are impossible without the little ones.
That being said and knowing that most activists
are accidental and do not seek the lime light, it
is important that as we might not actively thank
them, we do accidentally dismiss them.
In the December 15 issue of the Gayly there was
an article about the fundraiser for the Diversity
House, a "half-way house" for GLBT
teens who may have been thrown out of their homes
in the name of Family Values.
I and a few others happened to be at the Center
talking about the need of such a place one day,
but there are those with ideas and those whose
success in one area does not make them experts in
all.
Jacqueline Gatewood was there and, taking the
conversation beyond idea, called a load of people
with the expertise necessary to institute such an
endeavor.
Being charitable is very complicated in a
government controlled and litigious society with
what seemed a simple act of charity needing to
meet laws, requirements for grants, and to be
justifiable to a bureaucratic world, especially
one that could view kindness toward GLBT youth as
a form of amoral recruitment.
As a result of her persistence, Jacqueline
brought together the people with the expertise to
know what needed to be done and whom to contact
to get it done.
In an ideal world those who are responsible for
an act would get credit, but in the real world
all too often the actual hero gets lost in the
fanfare.
Therefore, I want people to know regardless how
the history gets written Jacqueline Gatewood took
a theoretical idea of a "half-way"
house for GLBT youth, contacted those best able
to make it reality and brought the idea to life.
She needs to be known for that, for when the idea
becomes actual, her running with the idea could
be the very reason a youth remains alive.
She deserves our thanks.
Joe Quigley
Dec 17: Central Oklahoma Stonewall
Democrats issue statements on Carson . . .
Mr. Carson:
As treasurer of Central Oklahoma Stonewall
Democrats I'm very disappointed that you are
choosing the path of discrimination towards gay
and lesbian citizens of Oklahoma in particular,
and nationwide, in general, with your endorsement
of the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA). FMA
represents the worst sort of hatred towards a
significant number of registered and politically
active Democratic voters.
Why are you pushing us away?
In your campaign for the US Senate you will need
every vote you can get, indicated by your own
polling. Your lead this early is NOT significant
and you will need help. And where are you going
to get it? From the gay and lesbian voters you so
publicly and proudly spurn? The vast majority of
gay and lesbian voters are registered Democrats.
Sadly, there are voters who will object to your
own Native American heritage in the Cherokee
tribe. Are you going to minimize or deny that
aspect of your life?
Get real, Mr. Carson. Or do you practice the
christian family value of hypocritically loving
the sinner, but hating the sin?
James Nimmo, treasurer, Central
Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats
. . . & Bush
The appointed President Bush has
referred to gay/lesbian orientation as a splinter
in the eye and he has used other negative
religious references to denigrate gay/lesbian
citizenship in America. He has indicated support
for the hateful and discriminatory Federal
Marriage Amendment (FMA) which would severely
limit the Constitutional freedoms of gay/lesbian
Americans. Let's stick something in the eye of
this president--namely, the sight of millions of
gays/lesbians, along with our straight friends
and supporters, coming together in acts of
peaceful civil disobedience across the land, from
sea to shining sea. Together, each and everyone
of us can turn back this junta's juggernaut of
medieval ignorance and bathetic opportunism.
This equality fight of the 21st century is the
exact parallel of the African-Americans's 1960's
stand for their own dignity. They won and so will
we! Every gay man and woman who can look
themselves in the mirror with a steady gaze is
going to be asked to do what they can for this
vital cause to underscore the fact that gay men
and women will no longer be pawns of the
religious fundamentalists and doormats for the
craven political back stabbers. The Federal
Marriage Amendment is our Rubicon--we will cross
it, defeat it, and be in charge of our lives once
and for all!
James Nimmo,
treasurer, Central
Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats
Dec 18: YGLA and supporters of "Diversity
House", a proposed GLBT youth homeless
shelter in OKC, present a benefit spaghetti
dinner with talent show provided by YGLA at the
Church of the Open Arms.
Dec 20: The following article was in the
December 2003 issue of the NWClassen student
newspaper, THE SHIELD.
Its author is a member of Young Gay Lesbian
Alliance (YGLA) here in OKC, and, in spite of
having to deal with initial, and now reluctantly
waning obstructionism, a founding member of that
school’s Gay/Straight Alliance. It was the
article the principal did not okay for October
because with the Gay History Month display and
all we wouldn’t want to overdo it.
We do, after all, need to keep our place and be
thankful for any largesse.
But imagine the courage to write this, and where
it was done. Things do change as long as we keep
an eye on things, and the younger people take the
reins they are being handed.
Joe Quigley
GAY,
LESBIAN STUDENTS DESERVE RESPECT
Figuring out who you are can be extremely
difficult, and stereotypes, hate, and
ignorance can make it even worse. It is hard
to love who you are when others call you
names, make fun of you, or put you down. For
GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered,
and Questioning) students, that happens all
the time. They get harassed for who they are,
and that makes others not want to admit their
sexuality because they are afraid they will
be picked on.
It can take a person years to accept who he/she
is, and then even longer to tell other people.
Some people never come out, but they might
have to lie, or make up stories to hide their
truth. To them it is like wearing a mask;
they put it on when they walk out of the door
in the morning, and take it off when they get
home. Then there are those who just do not
care. They figure if straight people can talk
about their kids, their significant others,
and their love lives, so can they. It just
depends on the person.
Putting up with discrimination about being
Gay is just as hard as being hated for the
color of your skin. According to the Gay,
Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (www.glsen.org)
More than 70% of students hear the phrase
“That’s so gay” everyday, 57%
of students hear remarks such as “fag”
or ”dyke” at school, and altogether
80% of students say that they hear some sort
of biased, homophobic remark during their day.
“The Stereotypes that come with being
Gay are everywhere, and when you are
discriminated against at school, you feel
like there is no safe place for you to turn,”
said a NWClassen sophomore who wishes to
remain anonymous.
Coming out is difficult; that is an
understatement. Not being “out” can
take a lot out of a person, and coming out is
all they want.
“once I came out, I felt a weight lift
off my shoulders,” an anonymous junior
said.
Most people learn to love who they are once
they are out—a sort of self-esteem
booster. Just like everything else in this
world, there are good and bad aspects to
coming out. A person will come out in his/her
own time.
Dealing with hate, ignorance, and
discrimination only makes it harder for
people to love who they are. Just because a
person has a different skin color, just
because a person follows a different
religion, and just because somebody is Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgendered does not
mean they do not need the same respect as
everybody else.
(Lily Helsel)
Dec 22:
Red Rock North moves to new location - 2240 NW 39th.
YGLA & Red Rock's free HIV testing
outreach are now based here. They had formerly
been using space provided by The Center.
Philippe Beaudette and Eva Jo Sparks join
Keith Smith on the Oklahoma staff of the Howard
Dean campaign. Press
release
Dec 23: Jim Roth was among the
Oklahomans welcoming Democrat presidential
candidate Wesley Clark to OKC Tuesday.
Dec 25: Christmas Day.
Dec 27: Oklahoma County comissioners - including
District One Commisioner Jim Roth - have approved
$25 million in bonds for a Bricktown project, to
be called "The Factory".
Come join in "THE WARM UP TO VICTORY"
celebration with presidential candidate Dick
Gephardt, Congressman from Missouri.
After numerous visits, on Saturday, December 27,
Congressman Gephardt will be in Oklahoma again.
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