Tag: Oklahoma

Posted on

Oklahoma marriage equality plaintiffs say ban is “demeaning” to gay families

A brief filed yesterday on behalf of the plaintiffs suing to overturn the same-sex marriage ban in Oklahoma states that the ban is demeaning to gay couples and their families.

The argument came in a 102-page document filed Monday on behalf of Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.

Bishop and Baldwin, who have been together for more than 15 years, are suing to be allowed to marry in Oklahoma. Their attorneys argue in the filing that the ban “demeans and humiliates these couples and their children, conveying to them, to family, to friends, to neighbors, to classmates, to teachers, to colleagues, to employers, to officials, to governments, and to all the world that their relationships are unworthy and second-tier,” the document stated.

The filing came in response to a brief filed last month by the Alliance Defending Freedom that said legalizing gay marriage would harm children, undermine society and make traditional marriages unstable.

In January a federal judge ruled that Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, but he stayed his ruling.

Oklahoma’s marriage equality ban was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge in January.

Oral arguments for the appeal in the Tenth Circuit Court are scheduled for April 10th.

Posted on

Oklahoma: Restaurant owner won’t serve African-Americans, gays or people with disabilities

A restaurant owner, in Enid, Oklahoma refuses to serve African-Americans, Hispanics, gays, or people with disabilities, KFOR reports:

Gary James, owner of Gary’s Chicaros, said, “I’ve been in business 44 years, I think I can spot a freak or a faggot.” He added, “I don’t deal with these people walking down the street with no jobs on welfare.”

James said, “If I reached over there and slapped the sh** out of you, you should be offended. But to call someone a ‘chink’ or someone call me a bigot, that doesn’t bother me.”

Now, a wave of comments on Facebook claim James refuses to serve African-Americans, Hispanics and people with disabilities, like Matt Gard.

Gard said, “He doesn’t like certain people of race, color, ethnicity.”

Gard was a regular at Gary’s Chicaros restaurant for years. He said he turned a blind eye to the owner’s choice of customers, until recently.

Gard said, “Now, he tried to find a weak excuse not to let me in with my wheelchair or the weak excuse of having loud people with me.”

Watch KFOR’s report below:

Posted on

Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern is fit to be tied over marriage equality ruling

The Advocate is reporting that Republican Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern, who is unrelated to the federal judge who struck down the ban, is angry and speaking out about the recent ruling by a federal judge which found the state’s marriage equality ban.

“Homosexuality is not a civil right, it’s a human wrong,” Rep. Kern told KOTV.

One of the state legislature’s most virulent anti-gay members, Kern says that people who say they were born gay have simply told “a lie long enough [that] people begin to believe it.”

See KOTV’s report below.

NewsOn6.com – Tulsa, OK – News, Weather, Video and Sports – KOTV.com |

Posted on

Greetings from Oklahoma

“Excluding same-sex couples from marriage has done little to keep Oklahoma families together thus far, as Oklahoma consistently has one of the highest divorce rates in the country.” – from Federal Judge Kern’s opinion striking down Oklahoma’s gay marriage ban as violating the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment guarantee of Equal Protection.

(via Politics with Jarred and Dave)

Posted on

Federal judge rules that Oklahoma’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional

Another surprising development for marriage equality from a surprising state – Oklahoma!

Via press release from the Human Rights Campaign:

Today U.S. District Judge Terence Kern ruled that Oklahoma’s ban on marriage equality is unconstitutional. His ruling is stayed pending appeal, meaning marriages will not occur immediately in the Sooner State.

HRC President Chad Griffin issued the following statement:

“Judge Kern has come to the conclusion that so many have before him – that the fundamental equality of lesbian and gay couples is guaranteed by the United States Constitution. With last year’s historic victories at the Supreme Court guiding the way, it is clear that we are on a path to full and equal citizenship for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Equality is not just for the coasts anymore, and today’s news from Oklahoma shows that time has come for fairness and dignity to reach every American in all 50 states.”

Two plaintiff couples, Mary Bishop and Sharon Baldwin and Gay Phillips and Susan Barton, filed their case, Bishop v. Oklahoma, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma in November 2004. Lead counsel in the case are Don Holladay and James Warner of the Oklahoma City law firm Holladay & Chilton PLLC.

More at the HRC website.

Posted on

Oklahoma: Gov. Fallin announces NO married couples may apply for military benefits at National Guard facilities

Graphic via Memeographs

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) announced earlier this month that state-owned National Guard facilities will no longer allow any married couples to apply for spousal benefits, regardless of whether they are same-sex or opposite-sex.

The Supreme Court’s decision overturning the Defense of Marriage Act means that servicemembers with same-sex spouses are now eligible for federal benefits.

Fallin’s unusual tactic is designed to avoid having to recognize those couples, which she asserts would violate Oklahoma’s constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman:

FALLIN: Oklahoma law is clear. The state of Oklahoma does not recognize same-sex marriages, nor does it confer marriage benefits to same-sex couples. The decision reached today allows the National Guard to obey Oklahoma law without violating federal rules or policies. It protects the integrity of our state constitution and sends a message to the federal government that they cannot simply ignore our laws or the will of the people.

Although Oklahoma owns most of the state National Guard facilities, they were built almost entirely with Federal funds. AND the federal government provides about 90 percent of the budget for the Oklahoma Military Department, which includes the National Guard.

I would say the Federal guidelines would be in play here.

By making this decision, Gov. Fallin forces all married couples to travel much farther than they should to obtain the appropriate ID card for military benefits.

Mind you – this is all about merely ACCEPTING an application at a National Guard facility. The state-wide policy has been changed and will inconvenience hundreds of married couples, gay and straight, just so Oklahoma can say “we don’t respect same-sex marriages.”

Sad, sad, sad…

(source)

Posted on

PBS to air OKLAHOMA starring Hugh Jackman on November 19th

Hugh Jackman as “Curley” in OKLAHOMA!

If you weren’t among the lucky few to catch Hugh Jackman in his star-making role in OKLAHOMA in London, PBS wants you to relive the fun. The network will re-air the 1999 filmed version of the production in high definition on Nov. 15 at 9 p.m. ET as part of the network’s Great Performances series.

Posted on

Third same-sex marriage in Oklahoma celebrated thanks to Native American ancestry

The third same-sex marriage has been celebrated in Oklahoma thanks to Native American ancestry.

Darren Black Bear, a member of the Arapaho Cheyenne tribe, married his partner of 9 years, Jason Pickel. They were married by Darren’s father, who marched in the civil rights marches with MLK Jr.

In Oklahoma, a marriage license is available from the Arapaho Cheyenne tribe as long as both people be of Native American descent and live within the tribe’s jurisdiction. Nowhere does it specify gender.

Oklahoma City’s KFOR has the story:

After dating for nine years, Darren Black Bear & Jason Pickel Wedding were able to get married because Darren is part of the Arapaho Cheyenne tribe.

The ceremony was held in a sacred place on sovereign land on Fort Reno Post Chapel.

The couple made their way down the aisle to Darren’s father, a minister who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement.

They exchanged vows, rings and then prayed for blessings from above.

While the couple was overjoyed, not everyone was celebrating.

“I find it kind of sad that this tribe is not willing to recognize what 75 percent of the voters of Oklahoma declared years ago, that marriage is a union between one man and one woman,” State Representative Sally Kern said, (R) District 84.

“Those of us who are Christians, who believe the Bible, are we going to have to give that up to satisfy the minority group that wants to redefine marriage,” Kern said.

The couple addressed the opposition.

“We heard some of the negativity but we have had far more support from people than anything else,” Pickel said.

He had advice for other couples who aren’t part of the tribe.

“I think they could go to another state, get married and spend their tax dollars there since Oklahoma doesn’t want same-sex marriage right now.”

Darren said he believes the Sooner State will one day legalize marriages like his.

“You just have to keep dreaming and hope that day will come,” he said.

Posted on

Oklahoma: Help those affected by hurricane disaster

The American Red Cross is working around the clock to help people in Oklahoma after Monday’s devastating tornadoes with shelters, food, water and supplies, and more workers, supplies and equipment are moving into the area today.

If you would like to help those affected by the disaster in Oklahoma, you can make a donation to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

People can donate by:

• visiting www.redcross.org
• calling 1-800-RED CROSS
• texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

These donations help provide food, shelter and emotional support to those affected by disasters.

The American Red Cross is an organization you can trust to help in times of need.