Just how horrible are the homophobes in Oklahoma’s legislature? About as bad as the segregationists who blocked school integration in the 1950s.
By now, you may have heard that Representatives Todd Russ and Sally Kern have come up with some truly insane antigay laws in response to our recent marriage victories. Russ wants to completely ban marriage altogether — as in, nobody, gay or straight, can get married. If you’re caught issuing a marriage license, you would go to to jail for up to a year. That sounds impossibly nuts, but it’s actually really honestly what he’s proposed.
In a way, it’s not too different from how the Governor of Arkansas responded to Brown v. Board of Education. Rather than allow black students to attend classes with white kids, Governor Orville Faubus (what a name) closed all of the high schools in Little Rock for a year. If the white families couldn’t have their segregated schools, then by God nobody will have any schools!
Apparently Russ is such a close student of racist politicians that he’s taken a page straight out of Faubus’ playbook with his marriage proposal. And just like Faubus, Russ knows that of course he’s going to lose; there’s no way he can actually ban marriage. But that’s not the point. His only goal here is intimidation, making LGBTs feel unwelcome, and scaring whipping up anti-gay sentiment among his ignorant followers. Then when there’s an act of homophobic violence, he can disavow it and say something like “well of course I’d never condone violence” when in fact is hateful rhetoric is exactly what created the environment where violence flourishes.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Kern, on the other hand, is just a kook. She proposed various bills that would prevent the state from paying any employee who allowed gays to marry, and also to force gay kids into abusive “ex-gay” torture camps. (Her son Jesse Kern, it’s worth noting, is DEFINITELY NOT GAY, no sir, absolutely one hundred percent straight, absolutely.) Once again, she knows this won’t pass. And yet she’s pushing it anyway — not because she actually believes she’s being a leader, but because she wants to make life miserable for the gays.
At this point, they’re not even trying to hide their admiration for segregationists.
jeffsmith60
Yes!!! Please Oklahoma pass these bills. OK voters must demand that both bills be put up for a vote by the Legislature. Demand that Russ and Kern put their money where there mouth is. Demand that they defend these bills during public hearings. Pass these bills!!! Who wouldn’t want to live in a state where nobody can get married. Pass these bills that would fine and lock up public officials for doing their jobs. Seriously, is there any adult supervision going on in Oklahoma City?
CK01
Does Sally know any gay constituents? If there’s any doubt as to the harm caused by “conversion therapy,” Bryan Christopher’s memoir, “Hiding from Myself” (on Amazon) provides a compelling and entertaining lens. It should be required reading for all OK lawmakers or for anyone considering “conversion therapy” for themselves or their kids.
Chris Vogel
Typical religious conservatives: stupid, cheap, malicious, and destructive self-indulgence. But, isn’t that why they become religious conservatives? Oklahoma’s state Penal Code still prohibits inter-racial marriage but, otherwise, Oklahoma is like all of the other states, having scores of statutes and masses of common law, affecting every aspect of life, that depend on legal (not religious) marriage. If they can’t damage those they don’t like, they prefer chaos which, as usual, they will blame on someone else. Complete dingbats.
jwtraveler
Fine. Ban all marriages. I’m 100% for it. And by the way, this is by no means the same as what Gov. Faubus did. In Little Rock and in many towns throughout the South that were forced to integrate, the all-white school boards voted to de-fund the public schools. White-only private schools were opened in their place, thereby maintaining segregation and denying black students a public education. This law would do nothing at all like this.
I’m completely in favor of full civil rights for LGBT people, but comparing laws against gay marriage with segregation and Jim Crow laws is the kind of offensive mischaracterization of anti-gay discrimination that turns off a lot of black people who would be natural allies in the fight for civil rights.
In 29 states LGBT people still have no housing or employment rights. Gay rights is not all about gay marriage.
ThatguyatORU
Huh I hadn’t heard about this on the local news here but yeah sounds about right for some of the crazier right wingers here in Oklahoma. Look if they ever tried something crazy again (like the adoption decision in 2007 that was struck down), the 10th circuit will straighten them out.
Ladbrook
I’ve never been much for spying on people and exposing their nastier, private behavior/choices… BUT… in the case of people like these two, I’m all up for contributing to a fund to hire a few private detectives, hookers, hackers, or whatever it takes to show them for what they are. (Think back to when we discovered all of Newt’s hypocrisies while he was trying to run Clinton out of office.)
Anyone with this much hatred HAS to be hiding some truly wicked habits. 😉
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@Ladbrook:
One Million Percent Co-Sign.
I have always had a fantasy that once win a mega Powerballs jackpot, I am going to hire an army of private eyes to trail and dig up dirt on all the hate filled, abhorrent, noxious, bigoted nutbags who spew their vile hatred upon the Gay community.
These two, DICK Santorum, Michelle Wackman, Mike Schmukabee, Little Bobby Jindildouche, Rush Windbag, et all. You just know each and every one of them has a “wide stance” or “hiring a luggage handler” scandal just waiting to explode. I relish the fantasy of taking them down one by one in a freaking orgy of revealing devastating beyond embarassing career destroying forcing the scum to slither back under the bacterial fungus filled infected rocks they crawled out from under news conferences…………………
DonW
@CK01: “Bryan Christopher’s memoir, ‘Hiding from Myself’… should be required reading for all OK lawmakers…”
That presupposes they can read.
Will L
No one can be this crazy even in Oklahoma. I can’t help but think that they push for these things to look good to the crazies back home knowing that they won’t pass. Except for Sally, bless her heart. She’s just so bitter that her son turned out “delicate.” He’ll never give her grandchildren… That alone is worth watching.