progress on the prairie

Spring and I and a friend of mine from OKC, Carlo, traveled to the Capitol building to stand up to OK Representative Sally Kern’s “Oklahoma Citizens’ Proclamation for Morality.”  Inside the building, there were about two hundred people gathered to support/sign the Proclamation or to protest against the Proclamation.  Several police officers were on hand, watching the crowd and taking away any signs brought into the building.  I saw one policeman take a blond haired young man aside and take away his American flag Pride flag (American flag with rainbow colored stripes).  Apparently, you must have a permit to peacefully gather in protest in the Capitol building!  Seems unConstitutional to me. 

Kern presented her Proclamation and then gave a short speech after which the supporting crowd clapped…  then the protesting crowd began booing and chanting SHAME ON YOU.  After that, the supporters started singing “God Bless America,” and the protesters chanted CHURCH AND STATE MUST SEPARATE.  Reporters swarmed the crowd, taking pictures and film and asking questions.  I couldn’t see Kern’s reaction or the other legislators’ present.  The supporting crowd then began to sing the National Anthem; the protesters joined in, and for the duration of the second half of the song, everyone in the rotunda sang together, which in itself was very moving to me.  It’s what the U.S. is all about, actually.  Then, the protesters again took heart after the Anthem, chanting FREEDOM and then singing “We Shall Overcome.”  After that, the crowd broke up.  I was interviewed by a reporter the Tulsa World who asked me why I was there, where I was from, and why I did not support Kern’s Proclamation.  I told her this was because I stand for equal rights for homosexual Americans and because Kern is disgracing the 1st Amendment by situating Christianity as the national religion.   As soon as she walked off, I realized I wanted to tell her I am not a Christian in the hopes that she would quote me and that other Oklahomas who are not Christians would know that they are not alone.  Couldn’t find her, though.    I hope this makes up for it! 

Folks then either left the building or went upstairs to the press room to stand by as the ACLU-OK leader gave a response to Kern’s Proclamation.  There are photos in the gallery of the lines upstairs and of myself and Tamya Cox with the ACLU-OK.  Rep. Kern came upstairs about twenty minutes into the press conference.  She was looking mighty huffy and gave a talk to the cameras available about how her freedom of speech was being repressed.  I couldn’t quite hear her, but all the rest of the protesters around me were doing lots of eye-rolling.  She was blatantly lying about what had just happened.  She was given the chance to present her Proclamation, and Oklahomans came out and told her that she does not stand for them. 

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Thanks to Carlo for taking these great pictures, and thanks to Spring for also coming out to the Capitol.  She had to stay outside to take care of Gaia (her family dog) who couldn’t be left in the heat!  Take care of your animals this summer! 

Thanks also to everyone who came out to the rally to protest and to the ACLU-OK for their support!

More links:
Channel 4 in OKC Report

Tulsa World Report

Peace and Freedom!
Beamish