And here we all thought the problem was rising inflation and a probable recession....

Well folks, it looks like the real culprit is "the gays". Just typing that makes me snort. It's like listening to your grandmother lean across the table at a holiday dinner to whisper "those people" when she's telling a story she heard from Matilda down the hall at the retirement community.

Over the weekend, Representative Sally Kern of Oklahoma delivered a speech to a small group of constituents. She thought she was only talking to the 50 or so people present in the room, well welcome to the 21st century honey, the whole world is listening now. Representative Kern went on a rant about the "gay threat" to our country.



After I heard this speech I went and did some looking, because I was shocked that I hadn't heard anything about this in the news. I found a posting on a discussion board from Oklahoma City. People are ashamed and outraged. One poster included an reply to an email sent to Representative Kern:

Her response to an email message from someone questioning her comments:

"Thank you for your email. I appreciate you taking the time to write and express your concerns and opinion.
I am totally against hate speech. Always have been and always will be. What you heard on YouTube was from a talk I gave on the aggressive movement to fund homosexuals and pro-homosexual candidates across the country and here in Oklahoma now that an openly homosexual is running for a statewide seat.

The account given on YouTube took my words out of context and omitted other parts stringing certain words together to make it appear I was engaging in hate speech. I was not and would never do such a thing.

The
YouTube account is a blatant misrepresentation of my talk.


As an American, you and I, and everyone else has the right to express our opinion. I said nothing that wasn't true. The homosexual agenda is real, the movement is aggressive, and it is a very real threat to the sacred institution of marriage and the traditional family unit. They are actively seeking to remove conservatives from the political arena.

My talk was to a Republican group and I was speaking about the homosexual agenda to defeat conservative Republicans. They want to silence anyone who does not approve their lifestyle. They want their freedom but don't want those who disagree to have their freedom.
I have said and will continue to say that they have every right to choose that lifestyle and I will defend their right to do so. But I do not have to agree with it and speaking against it is not hate speech.

God bless, Sally Kern "

I'm so glad she took the time to clarify which homosexual agenda she was speaking about, because lord knows, at this point I've just simply lost track. As for her assertion that homosexuality is a "very real threat to the sacred institution of marriage and the traditional family unit", I have to wonder where this woman has been for the last twenty years. According to the biographical information posted on her official page, she has a degree in Sociology, which should mean she is aware of the rising divorce rate among heterosexual couples as well as the increasing tendency of "traditional" heterosexual couples to live together for longer and longer periods. The even bigger question to be asked is, "How?" How are gays and lesbians a threat to this supposedly sacred institution?

Her response doesn't even address the statement she makes where she says that homosexuality is a bigger threat than terrorism or Islam. So, apparently, not only does this woman believe that homosexuals have some secret agenda to "turn" us all gay, she places terrorists and the whole of Islam in the same category. Nevermind the fact that not all terrorists are Islamic. She can't explain that away by saying it was taken out of context.

People like Sally Kern make it sound like individuals who are homosexual are cartoon-like villans, sitting in secret lairs, rubbing their hands together and laughing with glee as they plot the downfall of the "traditional" American family.

It terrifies me that there are people like this in control of our local, state and even national government. Such intolerence is ignorant and dangerous. I urge anyone that reads this to continue to spread the word about this woman's vile attitude. Don't let this die. Write letters. Not just to Representative Kern. Write to your own national officials and urge them to publically decry this woman for her actions. If our country raised a stink because Don Imus called a group of young women "nappy headed hos" on the radio, don't you think it should now stand up and make even more noise?

To write to Sally Kern:

Capitol Address:
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Room 332
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 557-7348

District Address:
2713 Sterling Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73127

Email:
sallykern@okhouse.gov

This isn't the first time a politican in America has targeted the gay and lesbian community and it won't be the last. We need to make sure that people understand that we aren't going to let a persons sexuality be the last acceptable form of discrimination in our country. Even if you don't agree with a persons choices, remember this, tomorrow it could be your choices they disagree with and then what will you do?

EDIT: Since originally posting this I have found out that the Human Rights Campaign has a running letter writing campaign in an effort to exert pressure on Representative Kern to apologize for her remarks. I encourage everyone that reads this to participate in the campaign and to post a link so that others can do so as well.