Oklahoma bill would ban state agencies from celebrating Pride Month
A bill introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature on Monday would bar state agencies from celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month or displaying rainbow Pride flags on state property at anytime of year.
A bill introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature on Monday would bar state agencies from celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month or displaying rainbow Pride flags on state property at anytime of year.
Oklahoma’s “Patriotism Not Pride Act,” introduced by Republican state Rep. Kevin West, would prohibit state agencies from using public funds to “develop, organize, administer, engage in, promote, or endorse any activity, including any event, initiative, official communication, social media post, educational program, or public campaign, that aims to promote or recognize Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Pride Month or any event with a similar theme.”
If enacted, the bill would trigger an immediate state of emergency “necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health or safety” and would also ban any flag “that represents sexual orientation or gender identity” on state property or grounds.
The legislation, sponsored by West and Republican state Sen. David Bullard, is among the first to target the use of state funds for Pride initiatives and celebrations. So far this year, lawmakers in at least two other states — Florida and Tennessee — introduced bills that would ban rainbow Pride flags in schools. Florida’s bill would also prohibit government employees, including lawmakers, from displaying rainbow flags.
West and Bullard did not immediately return a request for comment.
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