# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/161 "2008-03-19T02:44:04Z")
[QUOTE=Sublight] If we were talking about a rational person, then saying she’s talking about statistical risk to health might be a reasonable assumption. It seems pretty clear, though, that Kern is talking about moral worth. [/QUOTE] That may be clear to you, but to me the quote in the OP is talking about destruction of society. Consider how few terrorist attacks there have actually been against the US historically and compare that to the total damage done to person and property from all causes historically. Terrorism just doesn’t rate. But terrorists of the McVeigh mould are themselves in the top echelons of ultimate assholishness. Contrastingly, while I don’t know what the actual greatest threat to US society might be, it is highly likely to be a general societal, global, or environmental trend, which may well involve _no significant deliberate assholishness at all_ on the part of any given individual. I don’t agree with a word Kerns says, but as a matter of logic I don’t think what she said can be read as implying that gays are worse people than McVeigh. Of couse, for all I know she may think that. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/162 "2008-03-19T02:44:10Z")
Oh, in late breaking news: [looks like someone has some important issues to deal with](http://www.queerty.com/sally-kern-scrubs-gay-son-20080312/). Since this is the Pit, that sourcing seems fine to me. I’m seeing the same story around and about. I’ll add, poor son now if true, for his Mom’s bellignerance. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/163 "2008-03-19T08:51:20Z")
[QUOTE=elelle] Oh, in late breaking news: [looks like someone has some important issues to deal with](http://www.queerty.com/sally-kern-scrubs-gay-son-20080312/). Since this is the Pit, that sourcing seems fine to me. I’m seeing the same story around and about. I’ll add, poor son now if true, for his Mom’s bellignerance. [/QUOTE] This is like when Alan Keyes daughter came out as gay. I mean, it’s _not_ really surprising at all, IMHO. If part of homosexuality _is_ nurture, then, well, having such a fuckwad of a parent would undoubtedly make one gay. ---
**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 19, 2008, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/164 "2008-03-19T12:01:39Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] This is like when Alan Keyes daughter came out as gay. [/QUOTE] Phyllis Schlaffley’s son as well. And Newt Gingrich’s sister. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/165 "2008-03-19T12:59:16Z")
As America’s new “greatest threat”, I’d like to thank **Antinor01** for the tools he left me to work with. They seem to work quite well. Target has been aquired. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/166 "2008-03-19T13:25:42Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] And Newt Gingrich’s sister. [/QUOTE] Half-sister. Not to mention [Charles Socarides](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Socarides)’ son. And [Randall Terry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_Terry)’s adopted son (although Randall issued a statement saying that his son was obviously damaged before Randall got ahold of him). And of course Sonny Bono’s daughter, but considering who her [mother](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cher) is did she have a chance? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/167 "2008-03-19T21:43:05Z")
[QUOTE=elelle] Mmm, back to Sen. Kerns: she might wanna rethink the State song then, as it stems from a famed OK local son, playwright and poet[Lynn Riggs’](http://members.cox.net/lynn.riggs/LynnRiggs.htm)“Green Grow the Lilacs”, which we know as Rodgers & Hammersteins “Oklahoma”. [Apparently](http://www.tulsaworld.com/common/printerfriendlystory.aspx?articleID=070602_238_H1_hGree73577) he was, um, (whisper), gay: So, Senator Kern, that wavin’ wheat might not smell as sweet now, huh? [/QUOTE] :eek: A gay **songwriter?!** Indeed, nowadays Anything Goes! ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/168 "2008-03-20T00:25:38Z")
[QUOTE=Trion] As America’s new “greatest threat”, I’d like to thank **Antinor01** for the tools he left me to work with. They seem to work quite well. Target has been aquired. [/QUOTE] Be cautious with the third from the left in the fuscia case. It tends to act up. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/169 "2008-03-20T14:22:05Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] This is like when Alan Keyes daughter came out as gay. I mean, it’s _not_ really surprising at all, IMHO. If part of homosexuality _is_ nurture, then, well, having such a fuckwad of a parent would undoubtedly make one gay. [/QUOTE] I do have to wonder sometimes. In my group of friends, incidence of homosexuality among accepting vs. asshole parents seems to be pretty evenly distributed, but asshole parents definitely seem to be correlated with _all_ the kids turning out queer. There’s my friend Ros, whose mother ordered her not to tell her sister, not knowing that the sister had already told Ros she’s bisexual. Then there’s my roommate, who was kicked out of the house; his sister is actually married to a woman and still hasn’t told their parents, not that I blame her. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/170 "2008-03-20T15:59:22Z")
All the kids turning out queer? Talk about winning the genetic lottery… As a devout het, I am not that familiar with this sort of thing, but how common is that? ---
**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 20, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/171 "2008-03-20T16:16:29Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] All the kids turning out queer? Talk about winning the genetic lottery… As a devout het, I am not that familiar with this sort of thing, but how common is that? [/QUOTE] It’s like pulling the genetic slot machine lever and coming up fruit all the way across… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037/172 "2008-03-20T16:20:19Z")
I got a friend with 6 kids, all daughters. I’ll pass this along to him so he’ll have some comfort as he goes outside to pee on a tree. (He knows where the bathroom is, but he hardly remembers what it looks like from the inside…) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-state-rep-sally-kern-homosexuality-is-the-biggest-threat-to-the-u-s/441037.md?page=8)