In her infamous foul homophobic rant, Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern alleged that gays were “taking over” various city councils around the country (among them, Pittsburgh’s) and that gays were a threat worse than terrorism. The President of the City Council, Douglas Shields, listened to the ignorance and wrote a letter to Mrs. Kern and calling for her resignation. Sue Kerr of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, passes on the fantastic letter it is below the fold.
Sue also explained why it was important for Pittsburgh to weigh in. There are elected officials in Pennsylvania who need to take a good look in the mirror before laughing at Kern’s homophobia.Representative Sally Kern
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Room 332
Oklahoma City, OK 73105Ms. Kern:
Today I listened to your remarks (http://www.victoryfund.org/listening. ) related to your views on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people (GLBT). I was thoroughly disgusted by what you had to say and astonished that someone who presumably took an oath of office to uphold the U.S. Constitution and the laws of this nation would espouse hateful, bigoted and un-American views.
I sit here in my office and only wonder who else might be on your “less equal” list. I also wonder, if we should follow your illogic, what it is we should do about this “threat” to the nation? Round them up and put them in extermination camps? How would you have us “cut out this cancer” assuming we do away with our Constitution and Bill of Rights and host of other civil rights we enjoy in this free and democratic nation? Of course you always have the option to relocating to a country that embraces polices of persecuting those who are “less equal.” But then AGAIN, you to may run the risk of being persecuted yourself.
Your remarks, whether you know it are not, provided an incredible display of ignorance and intolerance. You incite others to cause harm and even death to those who are of the GLBT community. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned his office for far less an offense than the ones you committed in your remarks. I would hope that you too would recognize your offense and do likewise - resign.
I find no place at the table for a public policy maker who would espouse hate, discrimination and bigotry. Your remarks amply illustrate why you are unfit for office and the honor of representing the best interests of all law abiding people in your legislative district.
As the President of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh, I require an apology from you for your senseless, mean spirited attack on one my colleagues and the Council as a whole. I would think, should you take the time to reflect upon your hateful, bigoted words. An apology is also in order to the GLBT community, their families and their friends. Short of a a miracle, I do not expect that you will. I find persons of your ilk completely blind to your ignorance.
I any event, I would hope that the fair-minded people of Oklahoma will disavow your position in this matter and take the matter up with your state human relations and ethics commission. I would also ask that your legislature censure you and all other hate mongers who truly are a threat to peace loving and law-abiding Americans everywhere.
Sincerely,
Douglas A. Shields
City of Pittsburgh
President of Council ~ 5th Council District
Room 510 City County Building
414 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412 255 8965 Fax 412 255 0820
doug.shields@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us
You know who isn’t so upfront about their bigotry? Members of the Pennsylvania Senate and House who refused to stand against the so called “Marriage Protection” Amendment in 2006. I’ve blogged over and over about this. I’ve been condemned by gay politicos for criticizing our “allies” in the Senate who used some slick maneuvers to vote for it and vote against it.Go read the rest.This Amendment hurts our community. It also hurts the heterosexual community — I’m sure each of you knows at least one unmarried heterosexual couple who have a family. It is an unnecessary, hate-laced bill and next week it comes up for a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Sally Kern obviously feels she is politically safe to state that gays are a bigger threat to American society than international terrorism. She can say that in her state, defend her Free Speech and not worry about getting herself reelected. That’s Oklahoma.
What about here in Pennsylvania? Does your Senator have the electoral freedom to embed hate and intolerance in our state constitution? S/he might. Have you called to let them know otherwise? Have you taken the five minutes necessary to get their phone number, make the call and share your thoughts? How would you feel if s/he said your child poses a threat greater than terrorism because he’s gay?
Here are my Sally Kern posts on the Blend.
17 Responses to “Pittsburgh City Council President blasts Sally Kern in letter”
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Good on him. Among the disgusting things about bigot such as Kern is that they dare to call themselves patriots when they’re against pretty much everything this country and its constitution are supposed to stand for. More people need to call them out on their disloyalty.
I may have missed it, but I just spotted this on another blog: Homophobic official may have gay son. If it’s true … well, is it any surprise anymore?
I may have missed if you’d seen it already, that is.
Kern’s son surfaced and he declared that he is not gay…
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080314_1__OKLAH67120
Councilman Shields made me proud to be a Pittsburgher again today. With our bumbling boy mayor and the most visible other elected officials running with their tongues hanging out to endorse (and spend time with) Hillary right now, I needed someone to remind me that it’s not just all politics down on Grant Street.
You know what the REAL gay agenda is??
Wanting to live like heterosexuals do, without any extra hassles or paperwork or legal wrangling. Shock! Horror! Oh, I feel faint!
Good for Mr. Shields, for publicly standing up to this bullshit.
Being gay isn’t my choice, but who am I to deny someone the ability, the right, the human right, the god given human right to be happy and find someone, no matter who it is, to share their lives with, together.
Just because I can’t see being gay and realize it’s not for me doesn’t mean that I would deny that lifestyle to others. I have had the honor of knowing many LGB humans and couples in my life and I have been impressed with their attention and their mutual support of each other and the union. I have known gay couples that were more together, more loving and respectful and supportive than many of the heterosexual couples that I’ve know. One couple had been together for over 20 years.
Her, Kern’s, rant explains a lot of the paranoia and the whole ‘home schooling’ bent of her like. It sounds absolutely beyond silly but there are people that honestly (or at least pretend well) to believe the strangest and most deadly and stupid things.
The public schools are about indoctrination but not into the ‘gay lifestyle’ but into being a part of a complex society. A society with black and white and a whole lot of gray in the middle. Gray and a whole host of colours. It’s in the colours that we find the true greatness in life.
Living in just a black/white world is not what I believe any deity that could have created us and filed the world with such colours would want for us. To live a life bound by fear and limits imposed on yourself out of fear for a deity that no one can prove beyond a doubt is a waste of a life. How psychotic does someone have to get about punishing themselves and those around them through religion to realize that it’s all a lie and runs contrary to the idea of religion? Some people just don’t get it… And they think that evolution is just a theory. They prove it more than they could know.
I just wish she had been available to talk to Ellen
http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/ellen_sallykern031208.html
When I lived in Pittsburgh Doug Shields was my councilman, and he’s awesome. He also sponsored a really great piece of buffer zone legislation that has been a huge help for Planned Parenthood and the other reproductive health clinics in the city.
CJ, that’s just you buying into the evul and invasive Gay Agenda. Very clever folks, them gayz, making their position seem so damned logical and reasonable!
I agree entirely with what Dreama (#5) posted above. Although our top elected officials have fallen in lockstep behind “Fast Eddie” Rendell in jumping on the Clinton trainwreck, we do have a number of city council members in Pgh. (including Doug Shields) who are smart, progressive Democrats who just happen to be endorsing Obama. It can be very depressing to live in S.W. Pa. (where our Democrats living anywhere else would most certainly be Republicans), but just the fact that we have a gay man on our city council in Pittsburgh gives me some reason for Hope. While Hilary and her supporters were marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade here today, Obama’s supporters were actually registering people to vote — enlarging the party instead of doing their level best to destroy it.
“Kern’s son surfaced and he declared that he is not gay…”
Yet he somehow uses the language of the ex-gays who often regay as soon as no one is looking.
I suspect there will be some revelations that will show his cruising is still on going.
Non-event; it’s her vitriol that should be attacked and not whatever her son does or doesn’t do in his private life that matters. She’s the elected official representing her constituents- he’s a “civilian”.
Dear God: Save us from people whose borderline personality disorder manifests as religiosity.
A person who wants to “clean up” the whole of society just because certain kinds of sexual behavior make her feel dirty and guilty inside has some serious boundary issues.
So, for that matter, does the fundamentalists’ God.
I may have missed it, but I just spotted this on another blog: Homophobic official may have gay son.
Problem is, the newspaper article outing this poor guy (as someone disciplined years ago by Oklahoma Baptist University for cruising public restrooms) is just more homophobia.
This guy is not a public figure and not responsible for his mother–he ought to be allowed a little privacy.
I am thrilled and proud to say I am from Pittsburgh. It’s excellent to see that our council president took the time to address this issue, which not only offends me as a homosexual, but it should offend the city of Pittsburgh as a whole. Who is she to make a statement about our city council? It’s great to see Pittsburgh being an accepting place of all, not just select groups.
I’m glad that Pittsburgh called for Kern’s resignation. Only if the rest of the country, and in particular, the residents of Oklahoma would follow suit.