The Gayly Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 22, No. 4, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 15, 2004 Page: 1 of 24
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OKC MAYOR
ELECTION
FEBRUARY 24th
GO VOTE!
Statewide 6LBT News Source since 1983
fayly Oklahoman
Vol. 22, Issue 4* February 15,2004
TULSA * Victoria West was crowned Miss Gay Oklahoma USofA Classic
at a recent pageant held at the Silver Star. Photo by Andrew Hicks.
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✓ 1
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OKLAHOMA CITY - Victorola as Nancy Sinatra with members of the OKC
women’s football team, Lightning, at a team fundraiser held at Sisters.
Freedom and Equality Coalition
Mark Bonney, Media Spokesperson for OFEC
By Paula Sophia
OKLAHOMA CITY - Some
people have lamented that they
were born in the wrong genera-
tion, that they feel a diminished
sense of meaning because they
missed-ou-t- on_th.e_cLviL righ_ts
movement and the war protests
of the 1960's. The issues of those
times seemed very relevant to the
lives of all people and there was
real moral outrage, a palpable rec-
ognition that the United States
was not, in fact, the land of free-
dom and equality for everyone
that it fancied itself to be. The
United States was a country of
separate but equal, a country of
money and privilege for a few in-
stead of a land of opportunity for
all.
The newly formed Oklahoma
Freedom and Equality Coalition
(OFEC) has recognized that these
issues have regrettably become
relevant again, that it is time for
people to stand up in favor of free-
dom and equality for all people.
Rodney Johnson, the OFEC male
co-chair, sees the proposed
amendments to the U.S. Constitu-
tion and the Oklahoma State Con-
stitution, which define marriage
as a union between one man and
one woman as an assault on the
freedom and equality promised to
all Americans in our beloved Con-
stitution.
“Never has there been an
amendment made to restrict peo-
ple's freedom and equality,"
Johnson said. “The Federal Mar-
riage Amend-
ment and simi-
lar state amend-
ments would
write discrimi-
nation into our
premier docu-
ments which
stand for the
freedom and
equality of all
people."
The Okla-
homa Freedom
and Equality
Coalition began
during a sum-
mit meeting in
Stroud, Oklaho-
ma on January 9
and 10. Over 85
people repre-
senting over two dozen organiza-
tions met to develop a unified
voice, a voice to speak out against
discrimination against gay, lesbi-
an, bisexual, and transgender
people living in Oklahoma. At
present, twenty-five organiza-
tions that represent over 7000 peo-
ple have joined the coalition.
Their focus is to call attention to
the social and economic ramifica-
tions that would result if the peo-
ple of Oklahoma and the United
States adopt the discriminatory
policies of the proposed amend-
ments.
Mark Bonney, a media
spokesperson for OFEC said re-
cently, “House Resolution 1027 is
filled with hateful language. It
compares homosexuality to pros-
titution, bigamy and bestiality. It
also asserts that the United States
Supreme Court is guilty of judi-
cial activism when it has really
made a statement about protect-
ing people's freedom to love
whom they choose and to protect
their privacy."
OFEC has come together to
raise the awareness of gay, lesbi-
an, bisexual, and transgender
Oklahomans. "Honestly, the most
significant statement we can
make is to be ourselves in our
places, our neighborhoods, our
communities, our places of
work," Johnson said. “We want to
show our fellow Oklahomans that
(continued on page 19)
Tulsa C.A.R.E.S. Is Seeing Red
By Andrew Hicks
TULSA - On Saturday March
6 the Southern Hills Country Club
will be washed in a sea of red at
the seventh annual Tulsa
C.A.R.E.S.' Red Ribbon Gala. Easi-
ly one of Tulsa's most glamorous
events, the Red Ribbon Gala will
feature a bounty or delightful fine
wines, creative cuisine, matchless
silent and live auction items in-
cluding original artwork, jewelry,
private dinner parties, and cook-
ing classes, to name a few. Guests
are encouraged to "just wear red"
— the color of AIDS awareness
and a symbol of compassion for
those affected by the disease.
The Red Ribbon Gala is the
largest fundraising activity for
Tulsa C.A.R.E.S. (Center for AIDS
Resources, Education, and Sup-
port). Tulsa C.A.R.E.S was found-
ed in 1991 when community lead-
ers came together to develop a
plan to respond to the growing
AIDS epidemic that was facing
Tulsa and northeastern Oklaho-
ma. Tulsa C.A.R.E.S created a
“one stop source" for accessing
services by bringing together sev-
eral organizations under one roof.
Bringing these organizations to-
gether helped reduce the frag-
mentation of services, allowed for
Gala organizers (L-R) Charles Faudree, Bob Stewart, Honorary Chair Julie
Kruger (black) and Chair Pat Chernicky (red).
collaboration and cooperation
among providers, and eased the
burden on clients and family
members trying to care for their
loved ones dying of AIDS. Tulsa
C.A.R.E.S. not only provides ser-
vices to over 500 clients per year,
but also provides office space to
other nonprofit organizations
serving people affected by HIV /
AIDS.
Tulsa C.A.R.E.S offers a wide
variety of services to meet the
unique needs of those affected by
HIV and AIDS. The organization
is instrumental in assisting low-
income individuals who are im-
pacted by HIV disease obtain nec-
essary prescription drugs and as-
sistance in maintaining a quality
lifestyle through its food pantry
and housing assistance. Tulsa
C.A.RE.S. also provides onsite,
(continued on page 4)
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Hawkins, Don. The Gayly Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 22, No. 4, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 15, 2004, newspaper, February 15, 2004; Oklahoma City, Okla.. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc825122/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.