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A bill that bans Oklahoma state funds from being used to promote LGBTQ+ Pride month or Pride flags passed a committee hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 7, in the first week of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature’s second session.
State Rep. Kevin West (R-OKC) authored HB 3217, or the Patriotism Not Pride Act. It would ban state agencies from containing any references to pride flags on their websites or buildings.
“No flag that represents sexual orientation or gender identity may be displayed by an agency on state property or grounds,” the bill’s text reads.
Dozens of other bills targeting 2SLGBTQ+ communities are moving forward this year. Republican lawmakers claim supporting, endorsing or promoting Pride flags and events goes against Oklahoma values. Others disagree.
Oklahoma Republicans target Pride flags
Freedom Oklahoma is an advocacy organization that tracks what it calls hate-filled bills in the legislature. The organization has another name for HB 3217: the “God Hates Flags” bill.
“Bills like HB 3217 do harm, whether or not they pass, by furthering a hostile environment for anyone whose agency or funding is tied to the state, chilling speech, and limiting outreach to 2SLGBTQ+ Oklahomans,” Freedom Oklahoma Executive Director Nicole McAfee told the Black Wall Street Times.
According to a low estimate from UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, at least 152,000 residents of Oklahoma identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
“Bills like this send the message that Rep Kevin West and his colleagues don’t think queer and trans folks belong here, but we have always been and will always be in Oklahoma,” McAfee said.
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Freedom Oklahoma tracks “hate-filled” bills
During a debate on HB 3217 in the House State Powers Committee, Rep. John Waldron (D-Tulsa), one of just two Democrats in the 10-member committee, questioned why Oklahoma Rep. West singled out Pride flags.
Rep. Waldron asked Rep. West if he’d consider adding the Confederate flag to the ban.
In a response, Rep. West said he wouldn’t be opposed to adding it but doesn’t believe the Office of Management and Enterprise Services would approve it, according to live coverage by OKCFOX’s Payton May.
Notably, there’s no enforcement measure for the bill. Lawmakers appeared vague on how the bill would impact teachers inside the classroom. Ultimately, HB 3217 sailed through the committee Wednesday in a 7-2 vote. It now heads to the full House floor for a vote before it goes to the Senate.
Freedom Oklahoma’s Nicole McAfee said they believe the bill is intentionally vague to create a climate of fear and confusion. They believe the goal is similar to HB 1775, a previous bill by Rep. West that became law.
That bill limits classroom discussion on race, gender and history. It led to a chilling effect among teachers who remain unclear on what and how they can teach historical and contemporary issues impacting Oklahomans.
Meanwhile, the “God Hates Flags” bill is just one of dozens of anti-2SLGBTQ+ bills making its way through the legislature.
Freedom Oklahoma has created its own tracker to follow bills targeting Pride flags, gender markers, best practice health care, drag events.
“All of these filed beside legislation like SCR-16, which supports the genocidal actions of Israel, and several new bills targeting our neighbors without papers, make this truly one of the most blatantly hateful legislative sessions I can remember,” McAfee told the Black Wall St. Times.
To view Freedom Oklahoma’s bill tracker, click here.
To seek mental health support, call Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678, or call the LGBT Hotline 888-843-4564.