The measure faced strong opposition from some Oklahoma City-area churches, but also was praised by other area groups and individuals. Proponents and opponents filled the City Council chambers to capacity, waiting for their turn to speak on the issue.

The proposal, authored by Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid, passed 7-2, with Ward 7 Councilman Ronald “Skip” Kelly and Ward 3 Councilman Larry McAtee opposing.

The city’s policy already provided protection from discrimination in hiring and employment issues based on race, gender and political affiliation, although city staff told the council that they already allow for discrimination complaints for sexual orientation.

The resolution had been discussed at the council’s Oct. 25 meeting, but was tabled.

Shadid said such language has been added to a multitude of municipalities, counties, schools and businesses, both locally and across the country, and added that the measure would help bridge the divide between Oklahoma City and the homosexual community.

“By adding this, we affirm this seg ment of our population, and we go a long way toward healing,” Shadid said.

Shadid said the council was inundated with emails from people protesting addition of the language, most of which cited Scripture or religious reasons, but that airing the issue in public was the best route.

CASTING JUDGMENT
“I would propose that we let the city be the employer and let God be the judge. Let God sort this out later, and let us act objectively based on somebody’s job performance,” Shadid told the crowd.

“Jesus didn’t talk about homosexuality, but he certainly talked about poverty and the needs of people a great amount. As the social services budget comes before the council, I would hope that I would see 5 percent as many emails as I’ve seen on this. I would hope that I see the outpouring of maximum public participation, because that clearly was important to Jesus.”

Finally, Shadid warned of the dire consequences that can come about from not affirming rights of minorities, citing Nazi Germany’s persecution of homosexuals as the gateway to its persecution of other minorities.

“If you want to prevent such a scenario, you look at society and go out of your way to protect the most vulnerable, those that are the most likely to be discriminated against,” Shadid said. “Because if there are problems
in the future with great fear and great external threats, that’s the
door that the demagogues walk through. And you put every sandbag, every
blockage, everything you can in front of that door to shut that door.
You go out of your way to protect the rights of homosexuals, not just
because they deserve it, but because they represent the domino that
cannot be allowed to fall. 

right,  Center, Nathaniel Batchelder, director of The Peace House Oklahoma City, and Victor Gorin, former Gayly Oklahoman reporter

However, Kelly disagreed, saying that city employees already were protected under court rulings, that the implications of adding the language had not been vet ted fully, that the language really accomplished nothing, and that to say the city has discriminated against homosexuals in the past was misleading.

“I think this whole issue of misleading people is just unfair. … Don’t twist the facts and don’t twist the history. Because you don’t know nothing about slavery, and I don’t think you have read ‘Before the Mayflower’ as it relates to what really happened in America,” Kelly said.

‘FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES’
Prior
to the meeting, the Rev. Paul Blair, pastor of Edmond’s Fairview
Baptist Church and one of the founders of Reclaiming America for Christ,
had urged people to call members of the council to voice opposition to
the proposal. Addressing the Council, he said there has been no major
problem with discrimination against homosexuals, and that adopting such
language would have “far-reaching consequences.”

“What
are you going to do when you pass these kind of policies, and all of a
sudden, you’ve got Jim in accounting that decides he wishes to wear a
miniskirt to work one day? Well, are you going to discriminate against
him and send him home?” he said. “What are you going to do when Officer
Jones decides he wishes to take a shower in the women’s locker room
because he’s feeling like a woman that day?” Blair also addressed Ward 4
Councilman Pete White’s concern that most of the people emailing the
council and opposing the measure are not residents of Oklahoma City.

“If
you are that offended by citizens of other communities coming to
Oklahoma City, then we can certainly shop at our own communities, as
well,” Blair said. “However, your decisions in the greater Oklahoma City
area will affect all of us.”

Right, Pastor Tom Vineyard

In
addition, Windsor Hills Baptist Church pastor Tom Vineyard and several
members of his Oklahoma City congregation attended the meeting to speak
out against the measure. He read a list of statistics about rates of
sexually transmitted diseases, intestinal parasites, murder and
pedophilia among homosexuals.

“If God is the judge — and he is, he
was and he will be — that’s something that needs to be taken into
consideration in making this vote,” Vineyard said. “Folks, you’re making
a decision that will bring down God’s judgment on our city if you vote
in favor of this.”

PROTECT FROM PREJUDICE
Ryan
Kiesel, executive director of the state chapter of the American Civil
Liberties Union, urged the passage of the measure, saying that without
formal protections in place, a complaint on such an issue easily could
be dismissed.

“The
argument against it is essentially this: ‘Please, City Council, don’t
take away the right of one city employee to discriminate against another
city employee on a basis other than merit.’ That’s what they’re asking
you to do,” Kiesel said. “We reject that proposition at the ACLU. We
hope you reject that proposition, as well. It is a resolution that
prejudices no one, except those who would be prejudicial.”

Oklahoma City resident James Cooper and Oklahoma Gazette contributor told a story of being in third grade, when he was beaten up by other children because of his sexuality.

“It
was stated over and over and over again: ‘faggot,’ ‘gay,’” Cooper said.
“We’ve come a long way, but today, we come here to turn a page on
injustice. We are not the victims of history, but its makers, and we
must stand up for what is right.”

Photo by Mark Hancock

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