OKLAHOMA
CITY AREA'S GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDERED
RESIDENTS WILL MEET TO EXAMINE "THE STATE OF OUR
COMMUNITY"
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Persons -
and their families, friends, supporters and allies -
in the Oklahoma City area will convene as GayOKC.com
presents "The State of Our Community
2006", Monday, January
30th, 2006 at Epworth United Methodist Church, 1901 N
Douglas Avenue here in Oklahoma City. The program,
organized by Rob Abiera - owner and editor of GayOKC.com
- will feature a look back at newsworthy events in
OKC's GLBT Community in 2005 from the perspective of
the people who actually made those events happen
& presentations on the state of OKC's GLBT
Community from representatives of the community's
organizations and businesses.
Events and issues
that will be examined at the forum will include State
Question 711 - Oklahoma's anti-Gay marriage
amendment - and the impact of its passage on the
community, the adoption of a Gay-inclusive non-discrimination
policy by Oklahoma County and the
ensuing debacle over county governance, the
controversy over "Gay-themed" books -
including King and King -
at the Metropolitan Library system, the rise of DBA
Metro and the economic impact of the GBLT
Community, the Oklahoma Holocaust Remembrance
Exhibition, the presence in Oklahoma City of
three openly-Gay candidates in the 2006
elections - including Oklahoma's first
openly-Lesbian candidate, and much more.
The program
will begin at 6:30PM and will be preceded by
a reception starting at 5:45PM.
Speaking at this
year's event will be:
Jim
Roth - Oklahoma
County District One Commissioner (currently running
for re-election)
Rob
Howard - chair, Oklahoma
Holocaust Remembrance Exhibition organizing committee
Keith
Smith - co-chair, Central
Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats -
national board member, Stonewall
Democrats
Paul
Thompson - co-chair, Oklahoma
Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus
T.J.
McKinsey - Festival chair, OKC
Pride, Inc
Tim O'Herrin
- president, Log
Cabin Republicans of Oklahoma
Richard
Ogden - chair, Cimarron
Alliance Foundation
Rhonda
Rudd - founder, Oklahoma
City University School of Law Lesbian and Gay
Law Student Association (currently
running for State Senate)
Joe
Quigley - openly-Gay teacher,
Northwest Classen High School
Andrew
Rice - candidate for State Senate
District 46
Matt
McNeil - member, Oklahoma
Atheists
Paula
Sophia - Oklahoma City police
officer, poet, Cathedral of Hope OKC peace
and justice minister
Monty
Milburn - realtor, DBA
Metro
president
Kris
Williams - Young
Gay/Lesbian Alliance coordinator, Red Rock North
Chris
Munoz - YGLA president
Jim
Nimmo - openly-Gay candidate for OKC
School Board in 2005
Sherron
Hughes-Tremper - pastor, Epworth
United Methodist Church
Scott
Jones - pastor, Cathedral
of Hope OKC
David
Templeton - NLA-OKC
Bruce
Prescott - executive director, Mainstream
Oklhoma Baptists - president, Oklahoma
chapter of Americans
United for Separation of Church and State
Nathaniel
Batchelder - past president and
shalom minister, Church
of the Open Arms
Joann
Bethel - Herland
Sister Resources
MODERATOR: The
event will be moderated by Rob Abiera,
owner and editor of GayOKC.com.
GayOKC.com has been providing news and information to
Oklahoma City's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgendered Persons - and their families, friends,
supporters and allies - for over 7 years.
EVENT
LOCATION: Epworth United Methodist Church is
located at 1901 N Douglas Avenue here in Oklahoma
City (not to be confused with Douglas Boulevard in
Midwest City!) Epworth is just a few blocks southeast
of Oklahoma City University: 5 blocks south of NW 23rd
Street and 2 blocks west of Classen Boulevard.
Click here
for a map to Epworth!
PARKING: Parking
is available in the Church parking lot and across the
street. Street parking is also available.
ORGANIZATIONS:
Tables will be provided at the event for
organizations and businesses that wish to provide
literature for audience members to take home with
them. These tables will be located in the Parlor and
space will be available on a first-come-first-served
basis. If you wish to provide literature, please have
it at Epworth no later than 5:30PM on January 30th.
You will also be responsible for removing any
literature left at the end of the evening.
SPONSORS: Donations
in support of this event are now being gladly
accepted!
- Donors now
include:
- Central
Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats
- Monty
Milburn
- Oklahoma
Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus
- OKC
Pride, Inc
- To make a
donation online using PayPal, click on this
link:
- To make a
donation by check, please make your check
payable to Rob Abiera and
mail it to:
Rob Abiera
2717 NW 36th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Donations are not
tax-deductible.
FOLLOW-UP
DISCUSSIONS: Online discussions using the
GayOKC.com Chat Room will take place on the evenings
following The State of Our Community 2006 to provide
opportunities to explore specific issues in greater
depth. Free registration is required to use the Chat
Room and users must have Java installed on their
computer.
For
information about past editions of The State of Our
Community, please visit:
NOTE TO THE
MEDIA: Please refer to the GLAAD
Media Reference Guide when reporting on this
and other GLBT-related stories. The 6th edition of
the Guide is available online. It can be accessed at www.glaad.org/media/guide.
EVENT
ORGANIZER: This event is being organized by Rob
Abiera for GayOKC.com. You
can contact me by email at rabiera@gayokc.com.
