OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. –Legislation aimed at essentially reinstating the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the Oklahoma National Guard was introduced last week and has been assigned to the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. It is not known when the committee will consider the legislation.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has called on people to contact the legislation’s architect, State Rep. Mike Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City), to tell him that the bill is outdated and actually stands to weaken the state’s National Guard.
HRC first broke the story last month, when Rep. Reynolds announced the legislation. The bill is even more extreme than the federal version of DADT as it would bar gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals from serving in the Oklahoma National Guard and also allow government officials to directly question someone about their sexual orientation – essentially removing the “Don’t Ask” component contained in DADT.
This isn’t the only anti-LGBT legislation Rep. Reynolds is pushing. According to The Equality Network, he also has introduced HB2245 – legislation that would prevent municipalities from adopting nondiscrimination policies that exceed the protections offered to state employees. In Oklahoma, LGBT state employees have no nondiscrimination protections in the workplace.
The bill is dead on arrival. This type of homophobic gay baiting has no place in Oklahoma or elsewhere.