A few days ago I posted a video of an at-the-time-anonymous Oklahoma lawmaker saying a wide range of horrible things. Since then, the video made the rounds of the web and the “human” behind that voice has been revealed as Sally Kern.
Numerous developments have occurred since (including Oklahoma Republicans essential praise of Kern’s beyond-frightening words), and I figured I’d update. First, a letter written to Kern from Victory Fund (who posted the video in the first place) president Chuck Wolfe from a few days back that pretty much voices everything that’s wrong with what’s going on:
What you said is not okay, but that’s not because most sensible people disagree with it. It’s because your words give aid and comfort to those who would hurt, maim and even kill people who are different from you. Comparing gays and lesbians to cancer and terrorism and saying they are the “biggest threat to America,” gives license to others to treat us that way, especially given the leadership position you hold in your community.
Then, the situation got a bit juicier. Allegations arose that Kern and her Baptist minister husband had and hid a gay son. Despite much evidence to the contrary, Kern issued a loaded and manipulative statement shooting down those “rumors”:
Our son is not gay. We would still love him if he was, but that would not change the fact that homosexuality is a chosen life style and that we would pray for our son to have a change of heart. My heart goes out to the many parents who have lost sons to AIDs [sic] and other STDs. Those kinds of deaths are tragic because they could have been avoided.
THEN the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation began going through Kern’s emails after she said she had been receiving numerous death threats, only to find bitch is also a liar.
And finally, today Ellen deGeneres made her second step into having a gay voice after her touching speech about Lawrence King a few weeks ago. Up until recently I had figured Ellen’s contract obligated her not to go into the gay talk, but now that she’s secured a place amongst the daytime talk powerhouses, she’s using that power for good, and gave some light and quite funny, but definitely point-across words about Kern (even trying to call her) and the absurdity of her statement:
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