Oklahoma Independent Media Center

Friday and Saturday, March 7th and 8th
at University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK

Central Oklahoma faith communities and organizations proclaiming that homosexuality is neither sickness nor sin are announcing a two-day "Sexual Identity & Spirituality Conference," to be held March 7 and 8, on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma, in Edmond, OK.

"We support the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in the life of all faith communities, and offer this conference to share scholarly interpretations of scriptures making exactly that point," said Rev. Kathy McCallie of Oklahoma City's Church of the Open Arms, UCC, a conference organizer.

The conference begins on Friday, March 7th, at 7:00 p.m., with a keynote lecture by Dr. Deborah Appler, professor of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) at Moravian College, in Bethlehem, PA. Appler's lecture will be held in the Liberal Arts Building, on the UCO campus.

Peace from Christian or Islam? Give me Freethought!

This item is one of several styles being sold at WalMarts around the country with the words "Some call it stalking, I call it love". In some styles, like this one, the word "stalking" is prettied up with pink glitter. In other styles, the entire phrase is rendered in a red font that looks like dripping blood.

Yes, a huge majority of Oklahoma citizens support a woman's right to choose.

A Sooner Poll survey conducted by phone April 27-30 shows that 75% of Oklahomans believe that the abortion is a decision best left to a woman and her doctor.

However, this won't likely deter certain Oklahoma politicians from continuing to try to completely eliminate the right to abortion in the state, and many others to go along with them out of perceived political expediency. Until Oklahomans mobilize around this issue in far greater numbers than currently, we will soon have the strictest abortion laws in the nation, where rape, incest, or severe medical consequences for either the woman or the resulting child are sufficient grounds for a woman to terminate.

Once that child is born, of course, the state, the so-called Christian politicians, and certainly the conservative churches that enable them could not care less about it.

Action item from today's Progressive News list:

From the report:

Oklahoma
As tribal lands in Oklahoma are non-contiguous and intersected by state land, it can take weeks and even months to establish whether tribal, state and/or federal authorities have jurisdiction over a particular crime.

• AI learned of two Native American women who reportedly were gang-raped by three non-Native men in Oklahoma; however, because the women were forced to wear blindfolds, support workers were concerned that the women would be unable to say whether the rapes took place on federal, state or tribal land and that, because of jurisdictional complexities in Oklahoma, the women may never see justice served.

• According to one service provider: “When an emergency call comes in, [the] sheriff will say, ‘but this is Indian land.’ Tribal police will show up and say the reverse. Then they just bicker and don’t do the job…which means no rape kit, etc.”

Take action: Stop Violence Against Women

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN
National Call-in Days THIS WEEK
for: Freedom of Choice Act - HR 1964 (see below)

CONGRESSIONAL SWITCHBOARD
202-224-3121 202-225-3121

Oklahoma Delegation:

US Senator Jim Inhofe
US Senator Tom Coburn
(CD-1) US Rep. John Sullivan
(CD-2) US Rep. Dan Boren
(CD-3) US Rep. Frank Lucas
(CD-4) US Rep. Tom Coburn
(CD-5) US Rep. Mary Fallin

Tret Fure www.tretfure. com is coming to town next month!

Sunday, April 15, 8 pm
The Blue Door
2805 N McKinley Ave
Oklahoma City, OK

$20 ticket. For reservations, call 405-524-0738
or online at www.bluedoorokc. com