Kern withdraws “anyone can discriminate against gays” bill

Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern, who over the years has established a reputation as an anti-gay bigot, has withdrawn one of the outrageous anti-gay bills that she proposed for the 2015 session of the Oklahoma state legislature. She withdrew HB 1597, which said “No business entity shall be required to provide any services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods or privileges related to any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person, group or association.”

She went on to define “business entity” as, “a person, partnership, general partnership, limited partnership, corporation, limited liability company or any other entity conducting lawful activity which is organized pursuant to the laws of the state or which is authorized to do business in the state if organized under the laws of another jurisdiction.”

Basically, as written, it would have allowed anybody to discriminate against any gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person.

Kern issued a statement today saying, “After further consideration, I have decided to withdraw House Bill 1597, known as ‘The Business Protection Act.’ The bill as introduced did not accomplish my desired purpose.”

According to the AP, Kern says her intention was to provide immunity from civil liability to business owners who refuse to provide a product or service to a gay person, like a baker who refuses to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. That would mean she intended to copy the intent of the bill passed in the Arizona legislature last year, which was vetoed by Gov. Jan Brewer. The bill brought down a firestorm of protest from businesses, and the threat of cancellation for major events planned for the state. Several other bills, by other legislators, have been introduced in the Oklahoma legislature, trying to accomplish the same thing.

Kern’s action leaves in place her two other egregiously hateful bills, HB 1598, which would make so-called ‘conversion therapy’ a right under the law. The practice has been condemned by all major psychological organizations, banned by two states and the District of Columbia, and compared by the UN to torture.

Her other bill, HB 1599, is a virtual copy of Texas HB 623, which seeks to prevent gay marriage by withholding any public official’s salary or pension if they issue a same-sex license, or otherwise seek to enforce same-sex marriage, saying that federal court rulings do not have to be follwed in Texas.

You can get more detail about Kern’s bills, and her hatefilled bigotry, in the February issue of The Gayly, now on newsstands in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and the Texas Panhandle.

Staff report

The Gayly – January 29, 2015 @ 5pm.