To Comfort The Afflicted
And Afflict The Comfortable

To Comfort The Afflicted And Afflict The Comfortable

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Observercast

Remembering Paul Thompson

on

BY JAMES NIMMO

Readers and lovers of equality,

Unfortunately, Paul Thompson died this morning [3.4.10] after having a stroke a week ago. Earlier this week he suffered a heart attack as well while receiving care at Integris Baptist Medical Center in OKC.

Paul Thompson was until recently long-time co-chair of OGLPC [Oklahoma Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus], instrumental in the planning of the annual M.L. King Parade sponsored by the OKC chapter of NAACP, co-chair of the OKC Pride Parade Committee, and for several years helped in the planning of the Oklahoma Democratic County Medallion Dinner, to name just a few of the pots he kept stirring in his desire to see the First Amendment fully implemented.

Even though Paul was a Democrat with a special interest in furthering minority equality for all those groups that aren’t mainstream majority – regardless of skin color, gender, or national origin – he believed that American equality was a non-partisan issue.

In a rare instance of forethought by me, I interviewed Paul in July 2007 for an ongoing oral history program sponsored by the Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County. This 70-minute audio CD is a near permanent record of some of Paul’s stories of the pioneering days in the 1950s and 1960s when the KKK was an accepted form of public expression of distaste for gay/lesbian and African-American citizens living in Oklahoma City.

The catalog entry can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/y9u99v4

The CD can be listened to in the Oklahoma History Room at the downtown library, 300 Park Avenue, on your own CD player or laptop computer.

Even though you probably heard Paul recount some of his adventures more than once, no one could have heard them all.

A memorial service is planned for Sunday, March 14 – time and location to be announced later.

James Nimmo lives in Oklahoma City and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer

3 COMMENTS

  1. A celebration of Paul’s life will be held at First Unitarian Church , 600 NW 13th St , Oklahoma City , at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 14.

    There will be a potluck following the service, and everyone is asked to wear pride colors in honor of Paul, who wore matching shirt and socks in pride colors every day.

    Please view the obituary in the Oklahoman for full details on Friday, March 5.

  2. Paul’s memorial service will be Sunday, March 14 at 2:00pm at the Unitarian Church. A community Pot-luck will immediately follow at Sober Grounds, 2840 NW 31 St. (NW 31st and May Ave.) We invite everyone to come celebrate the life of this remarkable man.

Arnold Hamilton
Arnold Hamilton
Arnold Hamilton became editor of The Observer in September 2006. Previously, he served nearly two decades as the Dallas Morning News’ Oklahoma Bureau chief. He also covered government and politics for the San Jose Mercury News, the Dallas Times Herald, the Tulsa Tribune and the Oklahoma Journal.
Mark Krawczyk
Mark Krawczyk
March 9, 2023
Exceptional reporting about goings on in my home state as well as informative opinion pieces that makes people think about issues of the day...........get a SUBSCRIPTION FOLKS!!!!!!!
Brette Pruitt
Brette Pruitt
September 5, 2022
The Observer carries on the "give 'em hell" tradition of its founder, the late Frosty Troy. I read it from cover to cover. A progressive wouldn't be able to live in a red state without it.