After two nights and a day of cabin fever amid a late winter spate of snow and ice, I ventured out this afternoon to the monthly meeting of the Atheist Community of Tulsa. Today the organization hosted a guest speaker, one Toby Jenkins, Executive Director of Oklahomans For Equality. Mr. Jenkins spends a fair amount of time at our wonderful State Capitol lobbying and informing legislators on issues pertinent to the LGBT community and was able to deliver a mix of good and bad news. The bad news was that our state’s projected budget deficit was now up to some $610 million. The good news was that the number of bills introduced into the House of Representatives this session aimed at marginalizing and discriminating against non-heterosexual citizens of our state has been thinned from an initial of seventeen down to only five. The other bad news is these bills can still become law and place our fair state further behind the cultural eight ball, so to speak. These include House Bill 1125 which would recognize marriage as only common law if not performed as part of a religious ceremony, House Bill 1007 which safeguards religious clerics who refuse to perform same-sex weddings, House Bills 1598 and 1599, respectively the Freedom to Obtain Conversion Therapy Act and the Preservation of Sovereignty of Marriage Act prohibiting public funds from licensing same-sex marriage and both authored by Rep. Sally Kern R-OKC, and House Bill 1371 the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act which is intended to safeguard small businesses from activities deemed against the proprietor’s religion under the banner of religious freedom. HB 1007 has in fact passed the House and is on its way to the Senate and the others are now out of committee and will soon be before the full House.
On the Senate side, there is Senate Bill 788 which would relieve any judge or religious officiant from performing any marriage which violates their religious beliefs and Senate Bill 21 the Religious Viewpoints Antidescrimination Act which pertains to prohibiting the exclusion of religious expression of public school students. Both of these are still in committee.
Mr. Jenkins’ presentation also included the history of Oklahomans For Equality and an explanation of the organization’s activities, community involvement and some background on the key members of its Board of Directors.
Today’s meeting gave me a lot to think about. With such a huge projected budget shortfall, what are they doing in the legislature dithering with proposed law changes such as those listed above?!? I have heard it said that in the US Congress that we don’t have a revenue problem as much as we have a priorities problem, mainly due to such a disproportionate Defense budget. In our illustrious State Capitol it appears we have both a revenue problem AND a priorities problem. For all the posturing and rhetoric surrounding the safeguarding of Christian values, all churches of which are tax exempt, could they not offer some incentive to those who do not share their religious views? If you are going to marginalize otherwise hard working and tax paying citizens by invalidating legal recognition of their committed personal relationships shouldn’t they at least received a tax break? Given that the majority party pushing these proposed laws has made it clear over and over in every public forum that they detest intrusive government, they certainly are pushing for selective governmental overreach. I shudder to think what else they will try to reign in next. It is true at the state level what they say about the Congress, when it is in session nobody’s life, liberty or property are safe!