Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024
Volume 121, Issue 17
VISTA The
TEDxUCO Page 4
Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022
“OUR WORDS, YOUR VOICE.”
Volume 119, Issue 19
In wake of Owasso death, senator refers to LGBTQ community as ‘Filth in Oklahoma’ Matilda Harvey Copy Editor
State Senator Tom Woods, R-Westville, of District 4 is making national headlines for comments about the LGBTQ community. “We are a Republican state – supermajority – in the House and Senate. I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma,” Woods said at an event in Tahlequah after commenting on the death of 16-year-old nonbinary Owasso student Nex Benedict. Woods co-authored SB129, which has Rep. Mark Vancuren’s office is room 243 in the not progressed past introduction, Sen. Tom Woods’ office is room 529.2 in the Oklahoma Capitol. Woods said the LGBT Oklahoma Capitol. Vancuren voted against in March 2023. SB129 would community was “filth.” (OFFICIAL/PROVIDED) gender-affirming care. (OFFICIAL/PROVIDED) prohibit the use of public funds for gender transition. State Representative Mark Vancuren, who represents Owasso, voted in 2023 to pass SB613, which banned gender affirming healthcare for minors. Vancuren did not respond to a request for comment. Oklahoma has the highest number of anti-LGBTQ bills currently introduced or advancing in legislation at 54, according to the ACLU. The vast majority of these bills are focused on healthcare and schools. Movement Advancement Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed legislation targeting transgender rights as well as the
Project, a nonprofit organization out of Colorado that gathers data regarding anti-LGBTQ legislation, ranks Oklahoma as the fifth worst state for LGBTQ protections or legislation. Oklahoma hate crime legislation includes protections for “race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin or disability.” Gender identity, sexual identity, and sexual orientation are not protected identities under Oklahoma law. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Executive Order 2023-20 Aug. 1, 2023. EO 2023-20 declares official definitions of female, male, woman, girl, man, boy, and sex. EO 2023-20 defines sex as one’s biological sex at birth, thus prohibiting the use of non-binary gender markers on drivers licenses, as well as prohibiting an individual from changing the sex marker on their drivers license. Conversion therapy, a discredited practice of “converting” LGBTQ people to cisgender and heterosexual, is banned in 22 states and Washington, D.C., but is not banned in the state of Oklahoma. One city, Norman, partially banned conversion therapy for minors through a city ordinance in 2021.
nation’s strictest abortion ban. (SUE OGROCKI/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Hundreds of people hold candles aloft at a vigil at Point A Gallery on 39th Street for Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teen who died Feb 8. (NATE BILLINGS/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Theater students attend UCOSA to support anti-Buss resolution Titus Leong Contributing Writer
how unsafe his class felt because Buss was there. Buss currently teaches classes online, most of which are freshman and introduction classes, such as Beginning Acting and IntroStudents from the UCO Theatre Arts Department came out in duction to Theatre. support for legislation CR24-201 on Feb. 12 and Feb. 19, standing “Incoming freshmen may not know about his situation goin solidarity with alleged victims of Professor Kato Buss’ alleged ing into the program. even if they are theater majors,” said Bailey sexual harassment. Carpenter. “The senior class right now were freshmen when this There were 25 students present happened. We’re worried that this on Feb. 12 when the legislation was would get swept under the rug.” first introduced and submitted to “This affects students with him still the Academic Affairs Committee, being able to teach classes online due and 19 students sat in for the fourth to the fact a lot of students enrolling meeting on Feb. 19, when UCOSA to his online courses are non-majors, voted on the legislation. so they are unaware of his situation at “During my time in this univerall,” said Rainey Denison. “He also sity and UCOSA, I’ve never seen offers office hours and that is an unso many students come out and safe scenario given the circumstances support a piece of legislation,” said around this situation.” Chair of Congress Izzy Barry. CR24-201 was passed by UCOSA Several students from the TheCongress with a unanimous vote, the atre Arts Department who sat in the results of which will be distributed to UCO Theatre Arts students show support. (TITUS LEONG/THE VISTA) meetings commented on the importhe offices of President Todd Lamb and tance of the legislation for the entire department and the greater Charleen Weidell, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Design. UCO community. “It doesn’t only affect our safety but also our education because “I can speak to my own experience and of many others that he’s still hired on as faculty,” Carpenter said. “It affects the prothere was an air around that this was not a safe place to be,” said fessors that we now have and they have to take on jobs that they Cole Shoemaker, who was a freshman in 2021 when this was an shouldn’t have to, which affects our classes. Some of our classes ongoing issue. He remembered a number of people who did not aren’t taught effectively or some don’t even happen.” attend UCO due to the bad press the university received following the six Title IX complaints filed against Buss in May 2021, and