Teach In for Equal Rights To Be Saturday at OK State Capitol Plaza

February 13, 2009

On Saturday, February 14^th, from 12 to 6 pm on the south side of the Oklahoma State Capitol Plaza activists plan to rally for equal rights for everyone during a teach in action.

Organizers well be addressing how religious family values are used as a code word for homophobia and plan to address topics such as employment and housing discrimination.

According to a press release from organizers, in the State of Oklahoma, and 31 other states, it is currently legal to discriminate in housing and employment based on sexual orientation. While race, age, gender, and disability are all covered under federal and state anti-discrimination laws, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered citizens of Oklahoma remain at risk. It wasn’t until 1964 that race was included under protection and as recent as 1991 that disability was added. It’s time to work for our inclusion.

Speakers from the Faith oriented community, Political community, Science community and Social Services community will speak about the importance of acceptance and the justice of inclusion in equality for all at the event on February 14, 2009.

Some of the speakers scheduled to attend:

Mary Lou Wallner, Teach Ministries
Featured in the movie “For the bible tells me so”
PFLAG

President Barack Obama recently invited us, the citizens of the United States, to bring about change in our communities in order to bring change to America. Those citizens in the LGBT community want change and deserve protection. Now is the time to make it happen. But, as we’ve seen in other states that have had ballots or laws that effect the LGBT community, we have to be READY when those laws and ballots come up to the voters on election day. We must first bring about a clear understanding to the citizens that vote. We need to teach every man, woman, and child in Oklahoma that we are their friends, neighbors, sisters, brothers, church members, caregivers, co-workers, doctors, and teachers. Most importantly, we have to teach them to accept that we are their equal.

We’re not going to get our rights without asking for them and we’re not going to get our rights without teaching….

Be a part of the pledge “…with liberty and justice for all.”

Coordinator Peter Myers can be contacted at 405-815-4059 or by emailing him at hpkmeyersmd@yahoo.com