A few weeks ago, the Lost Ogle published a piece about Oklahoma State Representative (and probable part-time Hell House ghoul) Danny Williams, who authored HB 1888 which would prohibit any public body from conducting gender or sexual diversity training or counseling in Oklahoma. Because he’s a conservative, of course.
Like many of these idiotic laws that never get passed, it was easy to assume that this was another attention-seeking bill that fell by the wayside in favor of something twice as dumb—this is Oklahoma, after all—but, instead, it looks like it’s making a broad reappearance as right-leaning lawmakers try, once again, to get it passed, this time as a Senate Bill hidden in legislation regarding the Red River.
“Those things should be discussed and looked at outside of government because we are not qualified to deal with it,” said Williams on the House Floor.
HB1888 was effectively shot down on the House floor earlier this month. Currently Senate Bill 267 is up for House Committee review. That piece of legislation initially was a bill that would set up a Red River Boundary Commission, but it has been amended and completely changed by William. The language from HB1888 put in its place going against traditional procedure.
Meant to stop the mandating of sexual or gender identity diversity training by public institutions, let’s be very honest and very clear here: this bill is very much part of this state’s proud anti-gay agenda and, deftly, Williams is doing a great job in carrying on this Okie tradition!
But, much like what’s currently going down in Georgia, a new generation of young Oklahoma politicians—like Rep. Mauree Turner, for example—are taking over and, thankfully, not taking guff from these old white men any longer.
“This bill is quite honestly a way to legislate people back into the closet,” said Rep. Mauree Turner.
Turner says multiple calls and emails by Oklahomans across the state helped to get the initial bill laid over.
“We defeated 1888 once and we can do it again by another name,” said Turner.
What’s sad about this bill—and really just about everything that seems to come out of Oklahoma government these days—is that all the elected officials behind them truly want to do is hurt their intended targets, savagely and severely. They want to send you back to the closet, send you back to the cotton fields, send you back to the reservation or send you back across the border.
It’s time to speak up or be complicit, jack.
And, besides, unless you’re just a truly horrible human being, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a few hours of diversity training and, typically, someone brings donuts so, really, it’s a win-win—I mean, what kind of asshole doesn’t like free donuts?
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