# OK State Rep. Sally Kern: Homosexuality is "the biggest threat" to the U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 11, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037 "2008-03-11T23:42:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/101 "2008-03-13T18:43:01Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] No, it’s actually part of [The Breadbasket.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_nations_of_north_america) [/QUOTE] It’s also part of the Ozarks, American West, Bible Belt, Central US, Interior Plains and any number of other areas. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/102 "2008-03-13T18:45:20Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] It’s also part of the Ozarks, American West, Bible Belt, Central US, Interior Plains and any number of other areas. [/QUOTE] > **[Southern United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_United_States)** > > The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is one of the four census regions of the United States as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Western United States, with the Midwestern and Northeastern United States to its north and the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico to its south. > Historically, the South was defined as all states south of the 18th-centur... > [@](#): > > Southern culture is apparent in Oklahoma, particularly in the southeastern region of the state. **On a whole, most consider Oklahoma to be a Southern state.** ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/103 "2008-03-13T18:47:53Z")
Oklahoma is right smack dab in the middle of nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/104 "2008-03-13T18:49:09Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] My family, who has lived in Oklahoma since it was a territory, would be quite surprised and probably offended if you told them they weren’t southerners. It was part of the confederacy, you know. [/QUOTE] Indian Territory was part of the Confederacy? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/105 "2008-03-13T18:53:51Z")
[QUOTE=Orual] Indian Territory was part of the Confederacy? [/QUOTE] Yes. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/106 "2008-03-13T19:10:09Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] Yes. [/QUOTE] [No.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_states_of_america) ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/107 "2008-03-13T19:14:28Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] [No.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_states_of_america) [/QUOTE] Huh? From your own cite: > [@](#): > > The five tribal governments of the Indian Territory — which became Oklahoma in 1907 — also mainly supported the Confederacy, providing troops and one General officer. It was represented in the Confederate Congress after 1863 by Elias Cornelius Boudinot representing the Cherokee, and Samuel Benton Callahan representing the Seminole and Creek people. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/108 "2008-03-13T19:20:02Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] [No.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_states_of_america) [/QUOTE] Did you bother to read your own link? > [@](#): > > The five tribal governments of the Indian Territory — which became Oklahoma in 1907 — also mainly supported the Confederacy, providing troops and one General officer. It was represented in the Confederate Congress after 1863 by Elias Cornelius Boudinot representing the Cherokee, and Samuel Benton Callahan representing the Seminole and Creek people. Also from [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_United_States): > [@](#): > > Before its statehood in 1907, Oklahoma was known as “Indian Territory.” The majority of the Native American tribes in Indian Territory sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/109 "2008-03-13T19:25:49Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] Did you bother to read your own link? Also from [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_United_States): [/QUOTE] Yeah, a lot of people in Missouri also supported the Confederacy. (Mark Twain himself [served very briefly in an irregular pro-Cornfed militia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_twain#Travels_and_family).) But Missouri remained a Union state. As did Maryland (“Thou shalt not cower in the dust . . . Thy gleaming sword shall never rust . . .”). ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/110 "2008-03-13T19:53:50Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Yeah, a lot of people in Missouri also supported the Confederacy. (Mark Twain himself [served very briefly in an irregular pro-Cornfed militia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_twain#Travels_and_family).) But Missouri remained a Union state. As did Maryland (“Thou shalt not cower in the dust . . . Thy gleaming sword shall never rust . . .”). [/QUOTE] Ahh, so you’re saying Oklahoma is an union state. Gotcha. . . . Seriously. Quit digging. Oklahomans self-identify as southern. Most non-Oklahomans consider Oklahoma part of the south. Texas, west of Oklahoma, is overwhelmingly considered southern by Texans and non-Texans alike. Perhaps most importantly, Garth Brooks is from Oklahoma. Case closed. ---
**Author:** ![Li\_l\_Pluck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ee59a6/32.png) [@Li\_l\_Pluck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Li_l_Pluck)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/111 "2008-03-13T20:05:52Z")
[QUOTE=Lightray] If you’re going for “coy”, try holding them lower down. 😉 [/QUOTE] HA! I’ll have you know that lower down is most certainly not the problem. I wouldn’t say that I could pole-vault over tall fire hydrants with it (I may be insecure in several aspects of my life, but that ain’t one of them), but, still, it’s definitely not where my username comes from, either. 😉 The rest of me, however? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/112 "2008-03-13T20:25:35Z")
[QUOTE=Li’l Pluck] HA! I’ll have you know that lower down is most certainly not the problem. I wouldn’t say that I could pole-vault over tall fire hydrants with it (I may be insecure in several aspects of my life, but that ain’t one of them), but, still, it’s definitely not where my username comes from, either. 😉 [/QUOTE] So…how’re _you_ doin’? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/113 "2008-03-13T20:34:06Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] So…how’re _you_ doin’? 😉 [/QUOTE] Oh, _get a room_, you two. :rolleyes: A really, really long room… ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/114 "2008-03-13T20:35:56Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] Oh, _get a room_, you two. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] I would suggest in Oklahoma. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/115 "2008-03-13T21:08:37Z")
My family has been in Oklahoma since the land run, and we don’t consider ourselves nor the state to be Southern, nor does anyone I know. There’s certainly a lot of Southern influence, but we’re not Southerners. _Parts_ of Oklahoma/Indian Territory were Confederate, other parts were Union. Some areas (and tribes) were both, at one time or another. I guess you could say they were Bi. 😛 Actually, nobody seems to know where to put Oklahoma. It’s not really part of the South, it’s not really part of the West or SouthWest, it’s not MidWestern (which should really be called NorthCentral). Only part of it is in the Great Plains. All of those regions have influence here, but OK doesn’t really belong to any of them. I’ve seen Oklahoma listed in all of those regions, depending on what list you look at. I’ve also seen a few lists that seem to be unable to categorize OK, in that it was skipped entirely. Really. Check lists that are primarily set by region, and you’ll see one every so often that has every state but OK. As far as the OP - I kept hoping that this little…event…would quietly go away, but I guess not. All I can say is, we’re not all like that here\*, and y’all know you have your own home-grown idiots to live with, so be as nice as you can manage to the rest of us. Just think - we actually have to put up with this moron more than you do! \*Actually, Tulsa was quite the gay old town, at least back in the early 80’s. I’m not sure if it still is; my clubbing days are long, long over. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/116 "2008-03-13T21:23:18Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] The gays are created that way. If you believe in god ,you must believe that they are gods children too. Gays have zero effect on straight marriage. [/QUOTE] Except when you have gays so oppressed that they feel the need to hide their orientation and “turn straight”, and end up marrying the opposite sex, only to realize years later it was a major mistake. But I’m sure that Kern has already thought of that. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/117 "2008-03-13T21:48:34Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] My family, who has lived in Oklahoma since it was a territory, would be quite surprised and probably offended if you told them they weren’t southerners. It was part of the confederacy, you know. I grew up in the south and I’ve lived in the southwest for the last 5 years. I know which is which and believe me, Oklahoma is the south. [/QUOTE] New Mexico and Arizona were also Confederate, but like Oklahoma they were territories until a generation after the war and reconstruction so I’m a snob: “_Newcomers aren’t allowed in our club_!” Admittedly Oklahoma tried to stake its claims to the Deep South by having (what some historians consider to be) the [largest race riot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_race_riot) in U.S. History, but most agree that this was due to the machinations of an unholy [infant in the city at the time](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Randall). ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/118 "2008-03-13T23:00:10Z")
[QUOTE=Cisco] … overwhelmingly considered southern by Texans and non-Texans alike… [/QUOTE] Hate to put a hitch in yer giddy-up, podnuh, but speaking as a native peckerwood (Waco…quiet little town…you never heard of it, nothing ever happens there…) you’re buggering an armadilllo, there (don’t ya’ll just _love_ colorful native patwah?) Texas isn’t part of the South and its not part of the West, nor the Southwest, and don’t even _think_ its part of Oklahoma (the mouth-breather’s Vatican). Texas is Texas, unique, indefinable, and downright pissy about it. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/119 "2008-03-13T23:04:53Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] New Mexico and Arizona were also Confederate, but like Oklahoma they were territories until a generation after the war and reconstruction so I’m a snob: “_Newcomers aren’t allowed in our club_!” [/QUOTE] And no New Mexican thinks of himself as Southern. And don’t get me started on what New Mexicans think of Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/120 "2008-03-13T23:07:27Z")
Sadly, a great many well educated people I work with, and otherwise respect, share the honorable Ms Kern’s antediluvian opinions. Not the “number one threat” part, but it’s certainly on the short list with terrorists and them thar Ay-rabs. For the record, I do not share these opinions. I Hate It Here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037.md?page=7)