[PAA-Discuss] Fwd: Lawmaker: Gays worse than terrorists

Wed Mar 12 13:30:17 EDT 2008

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign <hrc at hrc.org>
To: Juli Kring <juli3 at aol.com>
Sent: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 8:59 am
Subject: Lawmaker: Gays worse than terrorists

A state rep says GLBT Americans are more dangerous than terrorists.

Watch the Victory Fund's video and take action!

Dear Juli,
"I honestly think it's the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam."

That's from an Oklahoma lawmaker's speech about gay people.

You heard right. A secret recording has just emerged of State Rep. Sally Kern speaking to a Republican group in January, where she equates both sexual orientation and religion with terrorism.

She thought no one was listening. Now hundreds of thousands are. And despite her refusal to apologize, we won't let her get away with this.

Tell Oklahoma's governor and top legislators to publicly denounce Kern's remarks.

This recording, first released in a video by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, is all the more troubling given the recent spate of hate violence against gay and transgender youth.

Last month in California, a 15-year-old boy, Lawrence King, who suffered taunting and bullying by his classmates because of his sexual orientation, was killed by one of those classmates – a 14-year-old boy. The week after Lawrence King's death saw the murder of another teen, this time a 17-year-old transgender youth in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Words matter. Especially words from elected officials. Rep. Kern's private feelings towards homosexuality and Islam are one thing. But public statements that encourage disrespect or violence towards those with whom she disagrees are completely unacceptable.

Write to Oklahoma's leaders immediately and tell them Kern's remarks must not be tolerated.

Here are a few more completely unfounded claims from her speech:

"The homosexual agenda is destroying this nation."

"No society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted for more than, you know, a few decades."

"What's happening now is they're going after, in schools, two-year-olds."

Kern must be held responsible. Please send this message to your friends and ask them to join you in taking action.

Thank you for speaking out at this critical time. And special thanks to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund for exposing this anti-gay bigot. To add your name to the Victory Fund's open letter to Rep. Sally Kern, click here: http://www.victoryfund.org/listening.

 Warmly,

Joe Solmonese
President

P.S. HRC's advocacy efforts on this issue are already garnering media coverage in Oklahoma. Stay tuned to www.hrcbackstory.org as the story develops.

Having trouble clicking on the links above? Simply copy and paste this URL into your browser's address bar to take action today: http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/ok_rep_sally_kern_cen

"I honestly think it's the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam."