State Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, is the author of House Bill 2195, which seeks to restore “don’t ask, don’t tell” to the Oklahoma National Guard.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” was implemented in 1993 and barred gays from serving openly. Reynolds’ bill would reset requirements for the state militia to what they were on Jan. 1, 2009 — prior to the Obama administration’s scrapping of the controversial policy.

Several civil rights groups have denounced the legislation.

“When
Oklahomans are in the midst of a crisis, do they really care about the
sexual orientation of the person who is there to help them?” said
Cimarron Alliance Executive Director Scott J. Hamilton. “It is
unconscionable that a lawmaker would waste precious time and resources
on something so blatantly bigoted.”

We’re
faintly reminded of a 1996 study published in the Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, but dang if we can find it in our files right now.