Someone's ploy for public sympathy has fallen apart.

An Oklahoma lawmaker alleged that gay activists had sent Sally Kern life threatening emails following publication of her anti-gay audio. Now that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has started sifting through the letters, however, Kern's setting the public record straight:

A fellow lawmaker contacted the OSBI on Monday and suggested that agents go through the e-mails, some of which might be threatening, OSBI spokeswoman Jessica Brown said.

Kern said Monday that she had not received death threats. On Tuesday, she said, "It's changed," but she did not elaborate.

Brown said Tuesday, "There are a lot of e-mails to the representative that say, 'You ought to die,' rather than, 'I am going to kill you.'

"I wouldn't characterize them as death threats," she said.

Well, we certainly hope no naughty homos have been sending threatening letters. Kern should resign, yes, but death's a bit much. Also, it gives her fuel, and nobody wants that!

On another note, are we the only ones freaked out by Kern's glassy, Stepford stare?

Sally Kern's ears must be on fire, because we just can't stop talking about her! First came the Oklahoma lawmakers infamous rant and then we had that whole "first amendment" debate. The juiciest story of all came yesterday, when we looked into rumors that Kern and her husband, Dr. Steve Kern, had and hid a homo son, Jesse.

Dr. Kern, who's a Baptist preacher, issued a statement to squash those gay rumors - and perpetuate some others. It's actually very clever:

Our son is not gay. We would still love him if he was, but that would not change the fact that homosexuality is a chosen life style and that we would pray for our son to have a change of heart. My heart goes out to the many parents who have lost sons to AIDs [sic] and other STDs. Those kinds of deaths are tragic because they could have been avoided.

Ah, yes, we gay folk are simply crawling with infection! We practically are AIDS!

Meanwhile, more internet chatter led us to the Oklahoma State Courts Network, a beautiful internet archive of the state's criminal records. And guess what we found?! Three - count 'em, three! - cases against a man named Jesse Jacob Kern, who may or may not be related to Sally and Steve Kern, who just happen to have a son named Jesse.

The first Kern case involved some attempted oral sodomy and went down, so to speak, on March 27, 1989. That charge was dismissed by request of the state on June 9, 1989. What's most interesting, however, is that this Mr. Kern just happened to be in court on that same day on a charge of trying to "obtain money by false pretenses," whatever that means. Kern also stepped up to a driving under suspension charge. He was convicted of both on October 10, 1989.

That must have been a hard year for this Jesse Jacob Kern - and his parents are definitely to blame!

Oklahoma state lawmaker Sally Kern had a lot of explaining to do this weekend after Victory Fund posted the her very anti-gay audio.

Rather than begging for mercy, as some other public figures may have done, Kern's sticking to her guns:

I'm not gay bashing, but according to God's word that is not the right kind of lifestyle… It has deadly consequences.

What is wrong with me as an American exercising my free speech rights on a topic that is a very big issue today?

Gay activist Karen Parson cries, foul, however, saying that Kern and other politicians should be held accountable:

…It's this kind of speech, this kind of hate speech that gives the bullies the license to do it, and that's got to stop.

Hate speech has such negative consequences. The words really mean something. She's a legislative leader and people pick up on her words and they take them to be the truth.

Some defend Kern, saying that she thought she was in a private, secure setting. Would they feel the same if Kern had been bashing blacks? Actually, don't answer that…

Oklahoma City coppers found quite the catch in Darrell Lynn Madden. Not only is the 37-year old an accused white supremacist, but he may have gay blood on his hands! Investigators have connected Madden to the October murder of Steven Domer, a 61-year old man who many call queer:

An alleged white supremacist has been charged with murdering a gay man in what officials say may have been part of a gang initiation.

Darrell Lynn Madden was charged on Wednesday with the October slaying of Steven Domer, 62.
…
Domer, who friends said was gay, was last seen Oct. 26 near a car wash, according to court papers. A witness said Domer had been talking to two men who matched the description of Madden and [Brian] Qualls.

Cops found Domer's car near Madden's house the next day. They found his body in a ravine one week later.

Madden also stands accused of murdering his Qualls, who reportedly spoke about killing a man. Could Domer's murder have led to Qualls? It sort of looks that way.

[Update: Cops hypothesize that Domer's death may have been a gang initiation.]

Oklahoma police have their hands full with what appears to be an anti-gay hate crime.

The death of an Edmond man whose body was found in McClain County is being investigated as a possible hate crime.

Steven Domer was last seen alive October 26th in Oklahoma City in what an investigator calls a "gay neighborhood."

His car was found burned four days later in McClain County and his body was found November 4th.

Police investigating the death later searched a home in McClain County owned by Darrell Madden.

This Madden character, a reported white supremacist, has since been arrested for another, unrelated murder. He has not, however, been named a suspect in the Domer mystery.

One of Domer's friends and final witnesses told police that he and Domer had approached two men the night of Domer's disappearance, but were "uncomfortable" and left. The pal speculates that Domer returned to the men, which may have been a fatal mistake.

Way back in December Sara Kaspereit - a twenty-year old lesbian of Ada, Oklahoma - told police that two men beat her up because she's a lesbian. How could she be so sure? Well, as we pointed out when we originally reported on the seemingly gruesome attack, the attackers allegedly cut "lesbian" in Kaspereit's arm.

Kaspereit accused the police of not doing enough to investigate homophobic attacks. Upping the ante, local coppers called in the Feds. Experts on such matters, officials soon grew suspicious of Kaspereit's claim: two men attacked her as she got out of her car. A closer look suggested that Kaspereit had, in fact, attacked herself.

Kaspereit later conceded that she had, in fact, cried hate-crime wolf.

CONTINUED »

Gay bullying's no laughing matter. It's so unfunny, in fact, that the New Jersey Supreme Court recently ruled that schools have a constitutional duty to protect gay kids from school yard tyrants. Why, then, are we slightly amused by a case down in Oklahoma?

Here's what's happening: 19-year old Michale D. Bullis has filed a lawsuit against his school for failing to protect him against scores of sourpusses who made his life a living hell. In addition to getting his fill of epithets, knuckle sandwiches and other typical thug gifts, Bullis' bullies went the extra mile:

Bullis was also subjected to repeated sexual assaults, which consisted of inappropriate and unwanted backrubs accompanied by verbal mockery and insults, inappropriate stroking of his neck and throat, also accompanied by blowing in his ear and touching, and rubbing and grabbing his genitals…

That doesn't sound so bad to us. Yeah, the beatings ain't fresh, but this doesn't sound like the work of a bully. It just sounds like someone was trying to get a date. As for being "amused" - we take that back. We're bemused.

Reverend Lonnie W. Latham once stood proud on the pulpit in the South Tulsa Baptist Church, where he would blast gays for their sinful sex acts. His worshipers loved it, eating up his Biblically-endorsed bawlings with zeal. Too bad they didn't know Latham had a side dish: dick. The now disgraced pastor grabbed headlines last January after allegedly asking an undercover cop to suck him off. In turn, police tossed Latham in jail.

Now, as the jury-free trial begins, Latham's lawyer's accused the police department with a false arrest. What's more, he says Latham has the constitutional right to ask someone for a blow job. Star-Telegram reports:

[Latham's] attorney, Mack Martin, filed a motion to have the misdemeanor lewdness charge thrown out, saying the Supreme Court ruled in the 2003 decision Lawrence v. Texas that it was not illegal for consenting adults to engage in private homosexual acts.

Both sides agree there was no offer of money…

You kids may recall that Lawrence v. Texas overturned the archaic regulations against sodomy, that is: any sex that's not vaginal. So, legally, Latham did nothing wrong.

Prosecutors, however, say that the government has a "legitimate interest" in regulating "lewd behavior". If that were so, they should have arrested Latham before he got found out as a faggot.

While we hate to side with a holy homophobic hypocrite, it seems to us Latham doesn't deserve the proposed sentence: a year in jail and a fine. Just turn him out on the streets…

(Note: A reader pointed out that the headline should read that Latham has the right to ask to suck dick, otherwise it misrepresents the case. He's right, so we changed it.)

Well, it seems our friend Mike Rogers and his homies are at it again.

Those of you who read either Blogactive or Page One Qover the weekend saw the post in which they out notoriously anti-gay Oklahoman Republican Tom Coburn's (pictured) legislative director, Roland Foster. No? Well, head on over there and check it out.

Oh, and to that certain ill-adjusted blog that removed our link after our previous Rogers-outing post: that makes us sad.

We were just about to ask you to go steady…

• Anderson Cooper was looking especially queeny at Mardi Gras. [Open All Night]

• “After nearly a year of debate, the Oklahoma City-County library system has voted to create a new section in the children's library to shelve books dealing with homosexuality and other ‘sensitive issues.’ Those issues are pedophilia, child abuse, substance abuse, premarital sex and extramarital sex." [Boozhy]

• SignalShift* is back and he’s friends with Jay McCarroll. [SignalShift*]

• Toby goes on the attack again. No Metro Weekly cover boy is safe. [Vividblurry]

• A gay porn star finds God. How lovely. [Dallas Voice]

• The first queen who can name all three gold Village People singles will score a pair of tickets to Sodom: The Musical and entrance to the opening night party at an undisclosed space in NYC’s East Village. Email us here.

• We told you how much we loved Oklahoma before. After seeing the new Miss Bamboo we may have changed our minds.

• Madonna is performing at the MTV Europe Music Awards tomorrow. Ready your TiVo, girls.

• We too like to “imagine the effects of an openly gay NASCAR driver.” And usually those thoughts involve being pinned down in his back seat.

• Spokane mayor wishes he had never gone online. We only say that when sent fake pics.