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Death Threats and Thousands of Hate Emails from Homosexual Activists Hit Oklahoma Politician

Rep. Kerns calls comments exercise of free speech, not hate speech

By Michael Baggot

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, March 17, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Oklahoma House Representative Sally Kern has received thousands of emails in light of a recorded speech posted on YouTube.com in which she called homosexual practices more dangerous to the United States than terrorism.  The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is examining the 17 thousand emails Kerns has received for legally threatening content. 

"It [the homosexual lifestyle] has deadly consequences for those people involved in it.... [they] have more suicides… there's more illness, their life spans are shorter… studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades," said Kern in her speech.

"This stuff-it's deadly and it's spreading, and it will destroy our young people. It will destroy this nation. Not everybody's lifestyle is equal, just like not all religions are equal," added Kern.

Kern's speech was accessed more than 500 thousand times the week after the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund posted it on YouTube.com. 

"While this speech is remarkable in its statements, it is not unique. For every bit of hateful rhetoric we hear, scores of other anti-gay statements go unchallenged," stated the Victory Fund of Kern's speech.

"Her comments are so inappropriate and beyond the pale that she's demonstrated that she's not fit for service in public office," said Patrick Sammon, president of the gay and lesbian advocacy group Log Cabin Republicans.

Openly gay House Representative Al McAffrey has called for a public apology from Kern. 

Kern rejected accusations that her comments were hate speech.  "I am totally against hate speech.  The account given on YouTube took my words out of context and omitted other parts stringing certain words together to make it appear I was engaging in hate speech. I was not and would never do such a thing," wrote Kern in an email to PamsHouseBlend.com, a gay and lesbian political advocacy blog.

"The homosexual agenda is real, the movement is aggressive, and it is a very real threat to the sacred institution of marriage and the traditional family unit.  They are actively seeking to remove conservatives from the political arena.  My talk was to a Republican group and I was speaking about the homosexual agenda to defeat conservative Republicans," Kern told PamsHouseBlend.

"They want to silence anyone who does not approve their lifestyle.  They want their freedom but don't want those who disagree to have their freedom," continued Kern.

"I have said and will continue to say that they have every right to choose that lifestyle and I will defend their right to do so.  But I do not have to agree with it and speaking against it is not hate speech," added Kern.

"There are indisputable facts that show it's a deadly lifestyle.... What is wrong with me as an American exercising my free speech rights on a topic that is a very big issue today?" Kern told New9.com.

Learn more about Rep. Sally Kerns:
http://www.okhouse.gov/Committees/Member.aspx?MemberID=87

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