Marriage News Watch: February 3, 2014

OK Lawmakers Consider Banning ALL Marriages

From News9: 

...The idea stems from a bill filed by Rep. Mike Turner (R-Edmond). Turner says it's an attempt to keep same-sex marriage illegal in Oklahoma while satisfying the U.S. Constitution. Critics are calling it a political stunt while supporters say it's what Oklahomans want.

"[My constituents are] willing to have that discussion about whether marriage needs to be regulated by the state at all," Turner said.

Other conservative lawmakers feel the same way, according to Turner.

"Would it be realistic for the State of Oklahoma to say, ‘We're not going to do marriage period,'" asked News 9's Michael Konopasek.

"That would definitely be a realistic opportunity, and it's something that would be part of the discussion," Turner answered...

So Oklahoma Republicans are so homophobic that they are willing to throw straight people under the bus as well. As the larger Republican Party/conservative movement are trying to seem (at least on the outside) to be more inclusive, this will only hurt the GOP brand by exposing it for what it is: a safe haven of bigotry and antiquated ideas.

Inciting Violence On Fox News Totally Fine

Tulsa, OK Abandons Abstinence-Only "Education"

From Raw Story: 

The school district in Oklahoma’s second largest city has begun to implement a plan to teach comprehensive sex education in its schools. According to Tulsa’s Channel 9 News, the district plans to launch the program in four selected schools, then expand to include the entire district.

Classes will be taught to 7th, 9th and 11th graders at two high schools and two middle schools. Officials said the state’s status as fourth highest in teen pregnancy has spurred educators to abandon abstinence-only education.

“Forty-four percent of students who become pregnant or who are married at that age fail to graduate from high school, and that’s something that affects them for the rest of their life,” said Tulsa Public Schools spokesperson Steve Mayfield to Channel 9.

~

Oklahoma, like many Republican-led states, has no statewide sex ed requirements for students. And like many of those states, Oklahoma is not seeing the steady decline in teen birth rates that states with comprehensive sex ed are enjoying.

The Guttmacher Institute — a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide — released a study September 1 that showed that states without comprehensive sex ed for teens consistently have the highest numbers of teen births per year. 

Marriage News Watch: August 5, 2013

Oklahoma Rep. Blasts His Party On Women's Issues

From News Ok: 

As a practicing physician (who never has or will perform an abortion), I deal with the real world. In the real world, 15- and 16-year-olds get pregnant (sadly, 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds do also). In the real world, 62 percent of women ages 20 to 24 who give birth are unmarried. And in the world I work and live in, an unplanned pregnancy can throw up a real roadblock on a woman's path to escaping the shackles of poverty. 

Yet I cannot convince my Republican colleagues that one of the best ways to eliminate abortions is to ensure access to contraception. A recent attempt by my fellow lawmakers to prevent Medicaid dollars from covering the “morning after” pill is a case in point. Denying access to this important contraceptive is a sure way to increase legal and back-alley abortions. Moreover, such a law would discriminate against low-income women who depend on Medicaid for their health care. 

But wait, some lawmakers want to go even further and limit everyone's access to birth control by allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for contraception. 

What happened to the Republican Party that I joined? The party where conservative presidential candidate Barry Goldwater felt women should have the right to control their own destiny? The party where President Ronald Reagan said a poor person showing up in the emergency room deserved needed treatment regardless of ability to pay? What happened to the Republican Party that felt government should not overregulate people until (as we say in Oklahoma) “you have walked a mile in their moccasins?”

Sen. Coburn: Oklahoma Aid Must Be Offset

From the Washington Post: 

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) will insist that any federal aid to deal with the tornado in his home state must be offset by budget cuts. 

“He will ask his colleagues to sacrifice lower priority areas of the budget to help Oklahoma,” spokesman John Hart said. Should other Republicans join Coburn, it could set up a fight similar to the January tug-of-war over Hurricane Sandy funding. That aid package was delayed by GOP opposition and ultimately passed with mostly Democratic support. 

In a statement, Coburn said that “as the ranking member of Senate committee that oversees FEMA, I can assure Oklahomans that any and all available aid will be delivered without delay.”

It is truly a shame that whenever such disasters occur and people are in desperate need, there are some who have no problem holding up the process. The sooner the people of Oklahoma get the aid they need, the better. Despite his platitudes of aid delivery without delay, the course which he wants to take almost ensures delay. What is worse is that this is regarding his own constituents. Lucky for him, he will not be seeking re-election, so he does not have to worry about facing the voters again. Otherwise, I am sure they would not forget this.

Teen Sentenced To 10 Years...Of Church

From ABC: 

Anybody who knows Oklahoma District Court Judge Mike Norman probably yawned at the news that he’d sentenced a teen offender to attend church as part of his probation arrangement, and that the judge’s pastor was in the courtroom at the time.

Not only had he handed down such a sentence before, but he’d required one man to bring the church program back with him when he reported to court.

“The Lord works in many ways,” Norman, 69, told ABC News today. “I’ve done a little bit of this kind of thing before, but never on such a serious charge.”

Norman sentenced Tyler Alred, 17,  Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in August for killing friend and passenger John Luke Dum in a car crash.

Dum died on impact in December after Alred crashed his Chevrolet pickup truck, ejecting Dum. Alred was 16 at the time of the crash and had been drinking prior to the deadly accident.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol issued a Breathalyzer at the time, and although Alred was under the state’s legal alcohol limit, he had been drinking underage.

The judge could have sent Alred to jail but, instead, taking into account his clean criminal and school records, sentenced him to wear a drug and alcohol bracelet,  participate in counseling groups and attend a church of his choosing – weekly. He must also graduate from high school...

Obviously this is better than going to jail (and I probably would have taken the deal were I in this young man's shoes), but this is a blatant violation of the separation of church and state set up in the first amendment to the United States Constitution. The fact that this is a pattern with this particular judge shows that he is not fit for the bench.

Sidenote: if this young man went to a Muslim Mosque, do you think THAT would be okay with this judge?

The Wrap-Up: February 23, 2012

Might Gov McDonnell (R-VA) finally be getting the memo?

Hawaii's governor will not be defending the state's marriage equality ban.

A church that doesn't allow kids? Wait until you see why.

Despite what some would have us believe, some religious groups are FOR the Affordable Care Act (i.e. Obama Care).

While sometimes it seems like homophobia is increasing here in the States, things are a bit different across the pond.

Herman Cain's quest for relevance is just...sad.

Rick Santorum is attacking the media for asking him about the very social issues that he is constantly talking about (unprovoked) on the campaign trail. He really has no sense of reality.

I'm thinking Brady Quinn should worry less about Tim Tebow praying and more about his own career on the field.

Does Virginia want a Senator that has some serious memory issues (at least when it comes to his own record)?

Oklahoma's attempt at a state DADT bill has gone down in flames.

And lastly, My hometown makes it to national television again, and again, it's for the wrong reasons. Great job Lynchburg...

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Wrap-Up: January 11, 2012

OK Rep. Mike Reynolds

And the winner of yesterday's New Hampshire Primary was Romney with Paul in second and Huntsman in third.

An Oklahoma legislator wants to enact a "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy for the state's national guard. Way to take your state backwards sir.

Rick Santorum is perfectly fine with America's youth being idiots and none-competitive in the global labor market. Seriously, this guy is now denouncing education and still getting votes?

Southern birthers were just knocked down by an Alabama court.

Pope Benedict XVI

That same mayor from Michigan who was caught making homophobic comments on Facebook has struck again. Some people refuse to learn their lesson.

With all of these GOP candidates talking about a federal ban on marriage equality, how likely is one to actually pass?

The Pope took some time out of his busy pedophile-defending schedule to denounce marriage equality. I'm not sure how a member of the Hitler Youth is qualified to moralize on anything, but whatever...

How much could college cost for kids born today? All I'm saying is that I'm glad I already have my degree.

After having the doors blown wide open on their anti-gay discrimination, the Salvation Army wants to have a sit-down.

Marge Baker of People For the American Way

Rather than facilitate a homophobic marriage amendment, a North Carolina election official wrote a scathing letter of resignation and has other plans for the measure.

The movement to undo the damage done by the Citizens United Supreme Court decision is gaining steam.

Groups in Illinois are starting to lay the groundwork for a run at marriage equality in 2013.

And lastly, "The Simpsons" parody Fox and Glenn Beck.

The Wrap-Up: November 7, 2011

A series of earthquakes, topping out at about 5.6, rocked Oklahoma over the weekend. Despite the state being home to Sally Kern, I'm sure the big bad gays will still get blamed.

Speaking of earthquakes, cue the obligatory end-is-nigh statement by Pat Robertson.

I have never been a fan of the jock celebratory butt-slap (I'm surprised too), but I think Iran has me beat.

Another rabidly anti-gay pastor has been caught in a compromising situation. I have long ceased to be surprised by these stories.

Some congressional Republicans seem to be breaking ranks from Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge.

Luke Evans

A new bipartisan group aims to change the debate on marriage equality.

Is actor Luke Evans in or out? That depends on when you ask.

Gloria Allred has become involved in the Herman Cain sexual harassment story, which means I no longer care about it.

The United Kingdom has lifted it's "gay blood ban." Well...sort of...

A trailer has been posted for "Breaking the Silence" which is a student made documentary about the plight of gay youth. There are some disturbing tales, yet also, some very hopeful ones.

A group of Mississippi religious leaders (including a Catholic Bishop) has come out against a proposed Personhood (i.e. anti-abortion bill). So much of that sentence does not compute.

Orly Taitz

Ken Mehlman, former RNC Chair during Goerge W. Bush's reelection campaign, made Out Magazine's "Out 100," which has a lot of people (myself included) enormously pissed. It's unfathomable how this publication could celebrate treachery (i.e. gay people who have fought against gay equality).

The Birther Queen (Orly Taitz) is running to unseat Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

A speech by Governor Walker (R-WI) was, well, OCCUPIED!!!

Again, don't forget that tomorrow is Election Day so get out and vote. In a year where turnout is expected to be low, every vote matters all the more. HERE is a page for Virginia voters to check out.

The Real Terrorists

Many of you have heard the words of Oklahoma state legislator Sally Kern, where she said that homosexuals are more dangerous to America than terrorists (to be fair, she is not the only person to have said this). There are two important points that I want to make about this statement.

The first is the most obvious one: she is categorically wrong. Terrorists killed 168 people in the Oklahoma City Federal Building. Terrorists are responsible for bringing down a plane over Lockerbie, Scotland. Terrorists are responsible for well over 3,000 deaths in a single day here in the United States. Can anyone honestly say that the LGBT community has perpetrated such grievous wrongs? Of course not.

The second thing I want to point out is the hypocrisy. For years upon years, members of the LGBT community, even/especially young children, have been subjected to countless instances of intimidation, malicious name-calling, threats, acts of violence, bullying, and even murder in cold blood. All of this merely because we are who we are. All of this because ignorant and intolerant people feel it is there place to do these things to a people that they "don't agree" with, many (supposedly) in the name of religion.

So let me ask you this: who are the real terrorists again?