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Video: Listen to Sally Kern's controversial speech.

Complete coverage: Oklahoma legislator's anti-gay comments stir hostile reaction :: Kern cites support from GOP :: OSBI reading Kern e-mails :: Local gay organization denounces Kern's comments against homosexuality :: Ellen calls Sally Kern :: Kern's son denies reports he is gay

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Community leaders on Thursday denounced state Rep. Sally Kern's recent comments about homosexuality and asked legislators to respond by passing hate crimes legislation that encompasses sexual orientation and gender identity.

Nancy McDonald, the president of the Tulsa Chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays also called on Kern, R-Oklahoma City, to make a public apology for saying she thinks homosexuality is "the biggest threat that our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam."

Justice Waidner, executive director of Oklahomans for Equality, which organized the press conference, said, "When elected officials use their power to defame entire categories of people, they abuse the freedom of speech embedded in the First Amendment and violate their responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of their constituents."

Kern's anti-gay comments, made in January in front of a group of Republicans, have received national attention since they were posted on the video-sharing Web site YouTube on March 7. Kern, who said she has received hundreds of phone calls and more than 7,000 e-mails in response, has since said the comments were taken out of context and that she was speaking about individuals and not groups.

Citing recent acts of violence against gay and transgender people, Waidner said comments such as Kern's have dangerous effects.

"Rep. Kern has repeatedly used her public office to demonize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Oklahomans and to attempt to deny them the exact same civil liberties she now defends so passionately," Waidner said. "This is the height of hypocrisy."

In 2006, Kern sponsored a bill to deny public money to libraries that did not segregate books that were determined to have gay themes.

A representative of the Islamic Society of Tulsa criticized Kern's statement about Islam and said Oklahoma Muslims positively contribute to the state.

"Rep. Kern's divisive comments are counterproductive and distract our Legislature and all Oklahomans from far more important issues that this state and nation must focus on," said Sheryl Siddiqui, the society's director of community relations.

Jerre Fine, a former Air Force linguist who has studied the culture of Islam, called Kern's remarks absurd and ignorant.

Fine, who is gay, said she was particularly offended as a person who has served the country by fighting terrorism.

"We need protection not only from outside sources looking to destroy America; we need protection from within by people like Sally Kern," Fine said.

The video of Kern had been viewed more than 800,000 times on YouTube by Thursday afternoon. In it, Kern, a former teacher, says children in public schools are being indoctrinated by a "homosexual agenda" and that gay-straight alliances at schools are "ruining lives."

On Monday, Kern said Re publican caucus members gave her a standing ovation after she read to them some of the e-mails she received. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the e-mails and phone calls to assess whether they contain threats of violence.

Kern's statements have put all Oklahomans in a bad light, said Jim Langdon, board president of the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice.

"Her statement perpetuates the wrongful stereotype that Oklahoma is a backward state," he said. "Every proud Oklahoman deserves to be disgusted at her ridiculous rant."

Kern's comments also do not represent Christian thinking, said the Rev. Jim Mishler, executive director of the Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry.

"We take exception to her claiming the Christian territory for her viewpoints," he said.

Shannon Muchmore 581-8378
shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.com