{"id":52092,"date":"2017-04-12T12:21:05","date_gmt":"2017-04-12T16:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/oklahoma-lgbt-kids-left-traumatized-after-state-capitol-staff-warned-cross-dressers-are-in-the-building\/"},"modified":"2017-04-12T12:21:05","modified_gmt":"2017-04-12T16:21:05","slug":"oklahoma-lgbt-kids-left-traumatized-after-state-capitol-staff-warned-cross-dressers-are-in-the-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/oklahoma-lgbt-kids-left-traumatized-after-state-capitol-staff-warned-cross-dressers-are-in-the-building\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma LGBT Kids Left Traumatized After State Capitol Staff Warned \u2018Cross-Dressers Are In the Building\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oklahoma LGBT Kids Left Traumatized After State Capitol Staff Warned \u2018Cross-Dressers Are In the Building\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Oklahoma_State_Capitol\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Oklahoma students are reported to have been traumatized during a visit to the state House of Representatives after the Page Program Supervisor sent an email to staff warning of \u201ccross-dressers in the building.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Page Program is for high school students who are interested in serving in the House to help elected officials.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oklahomans for Equality<\/a>, Planned Parenthood and a number of HIV\/AIDS advocacy groups were visiting the Capitol as part of an education advocacy day. <\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to the visit, Page Program Supervisor Karen Kipgen sent a Capitol-wide email reading:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs per [House Speaker Charles McCall\u2019s] office, Pages are being allowed access to the ladies<\/a> restroom across from 401, for today. Again, there are cross-dressers in the building.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Oklahoma House staffer Karen Kipgen emails warning about ‘cross-dressers’ in Capitol t.co\/W858nIw5pp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SM Kennison (@skennison) April 10, 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Speaking to <\/span>Raw Story<\/b><\/a>, Toby Jenkins, Oklahomans for Equality\u2019s executive director said \u201cI\u2019m with about 70 traumatized students right now.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

He went on to explain that he and the students went to McCall\u2019s office with questions about the email. McCall refused to meet with them but claimed that the email did not come from the Speaker\u2019s office and that they\u2019re investigating its origin.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Gayly Oklahoman<\/b><\/a> reports that Jenkins said that the group had \u201cseveral transgender and gender non-conforming kids\u201d who had been \u201cusing the bathrooms they are comfortable with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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#OklahomaHouse<\/a> it’s because of people like #KarenKipgen<\/a> that people in the LGBTQIA community R fearful\u2026#CharlesMcCall<\/a> #KarenNeedsToResign<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 JinxieB73 (@JinxieB73) April 11, 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He told the students to continue using the bathroom they\u2019d been using all day despite Kipgen\u2019s email.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese are public bathrooms, paid for by public tax dollars,\u201d he said. \u201cWe won\u2019t leave today without understanding this is the people\u2019s house. This is the kind of thing these kids deal with in the halls of school not the halls of the Capitol.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It was reported that several representatives \u201cliterally ran\u201d when they saw the group of students coming.<\/span><\/p>\n

Referring to Oklahoma Republican state Rep. Ralph Shorty, who was caught with an underage boy<\/a>, Jenkins suggested: \u201cThey shouldn\u2019t be afraid of us. We should be afraid of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0Married Oklahoma GOP Senator Ralph Shortey Resigns Amid Underage Male Prostitution Charges<\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n
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@GovMaryFallin<\/a>
I wonder if a warning was issued when this guy<\/a> was in the building?
Karen Kipgen needs to go, NOW. #OKleg<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/hmgvjzLioj<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Glenister (@Glorious_Din) April 10, 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Raw Story continues:<\/span><\/p>\n

Raw Story reached out to the Speaker\u2019s office and a spokesman echoed Jenkins\u2019 comment that the email did not come from the Speaker\u2019s office, despite Kipgen\u2019s claim it was his directive. According to him, Kipgen came to the Speaker\u2019s office to ask if the Pages could use the restroom across from 401 and the Speaker\u2019s office allowed that. There was no information about the LGBT and HIV\/AIDS advocacy groups in her request.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the student visit, people started posting comments to a meme on Kipgen\u2019s Facebook page .<\/span><\/p>\n

The meme read:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care if you\u2019re black, white, straight, bisexual<\/a>, gay<\/a>, lesbian<\/a>, rich or poor. If you\u2019re nice to me, I\u2019ll be nice to you. Simple as that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"i-dont-care-if-youre-black-white-straight-bisexual-gay-14722389\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cSo what is it those LGBT students did that wasn\u2019t nice to you?\u201d one person asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another wrote: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter took pride in wearing a very nice, professional suit today to meet with everyone at the Capitol. Your words, reducing her down to a cross-dresser, are appalling. I demand you apologize to my kid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kipgen has since deleted her Facebook account and has refused to comment.<\/span><\/p>\n

(Image via Wikipedia<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The post Oklahoma LGBT Kids Left Traumatized After State Capitol Staff Warned \u2018Cross-Dressers Are In the Building\u2019<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Oklahoma LGBT Kids Left Traumatized After State Capitol Staff Warned ‘Cross-Dressers Are In the Building’<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n