BY JAMES NIMMO

The Oklahoma Legislature is just so slap-happy. That is, happy to keep slapping Oklahoma’s minority gay and lesbian voters and tax payers up-side the head again with a resolution reiterating the flat-Earth need to keep minorities in their place when it comes to marriage equality.

In November 2004, Oklahoma voters already voted to keep gays and lesbians second-class with the passage of SQ 711, Oklahoma’s version of the Federal DOMA.

Like hard-core supporters of the death penalty who wish they could kill the convicted person a second time for another hit of blood revenge, Oklahoma legislators keep hankering for more opportunities to kick a citizen where it hurts.

Five “Democrats” who I know by name – and who know me – voted yes to keep me a second-rate citizen:

James Lockhart, who was at one time on the Affirmative Action Committee of the State Democratic Party. His handicap is deafness in one ear, evidently the one he uses to vote with.

Richard Morrissette, whose two chief claims to fame are being anti-woman and consumed with eradicating the eastern red cedar from Oklahoma.

Joe Dorman, who hails from south-central Oklahoma where they grow the cantaloupes and he has one for a brain. Like a dog he never met a flag pole he didn’t salute.

Eric Proctor, from Tulsa who is deputy minority floor leader. I guess he thinks his title obligates him to lead the vote against minorities.

Anastasia Pittman, who really takes the cake out of the oven. A double minority, female and African-American, voting against another minority.

Here’s the list of the roll call vote. See who you can find yourself among the “Democratic office holders” who willingly voted against the civil rights of fellow Democratic voters.

– James Nimmo lives in Oklahoma City and is an occasional contributor to The Oklahoma Observer

CIMARRON ALLIANCE DENOUNCES HCR 1009

Cimarron Alliance, central Oklahoma’s LGBT advocacy and education, has condemned Oklahoma House Concurrent Resolution 1009. The organization called the resolution, which reaffirms Oklahoma’s ban on same sex marriage and urges the Supreme Court to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act, as “Nothing more than hateful bigotry in action.”

According to Cimarron Alliance executive director Scott J. Hamilton, “This resolution is not a law. It serves no purpose but to further expose to the nation the fear-based bigotry of our elected leaders.”

The group said there are 375,000 Oklahomans who are gay or lesbian and Hamilton noted, “This type of behavior in our House of Representatives does a grave disservice to every gay Oklahoman and to their families. Clearly our legislators are not aware and do not care that the majority of Americans are now in favor of same-gender marriage. We already have a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage. This legislation was completely unnecessary and will prove the Representatives are on the wrong—and dangerous—side of history.”

Hamilton continued by saying, “When our elected leaders begin to understand that their hate-filled work is driving talented people out of Oklahoma and preventing solid companies from ever coming here, they will have no choice but to keep their bigotry to themselves.”

Hamilton questioned why the legislature would spend time and resources on a meaningless resolution with all of the pressing problems in Oklahoma. “Twenty-two percent of our state’s high school kids drop out. The number of children who are food insecure, 13%, is far greater than the national average. Student achievement is among the worst in the nation and one in five children live in poverty. Is this kind of legislation really how hardworking Oklahomans want their tax dollars spent,” concluded Hamilton.