Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Reynolds has introduced a bill that would effectively reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” for the state’s National Guard troops, the Dallas Voice reported. A supporter of state Rep. Sally Kern’s “Oklahoma Citizens Proclamation for Morality,” Reynolds has also spoken out against so-called “homosexual activists” after a gay minister recognized a same-sex couple in the gallery during an opening prayer.
In a statement, Laura Belmonte, chair of The Equality Network, said, “This legislation is demoralizing to Oklahoma’s LGBT community and our supporters, and it sends a message that it is acceptable to discriminate against people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
If the bill were to become law, Oklahoma would join countries like China, Iran, Syria, North Korea and Pakistan in prohibiting gays and lesbians from serving their country.
Oklahoma’s new legislative session Feb. 6.