OKLAHOMA MARRIAGE EQUALITY LAWSUIT PLAINTIFFS TO HIGHLIGHT MARCH 29 OKC MEET-AND-GREET, PRESS Q/A SESSION

Oklahoma City, OK, March 12, 2014 – Kindt Steven Myers, president of OKC Pride, announced today that the four women at the center of Oklahoma’s marriage equality lawsuit — Mary Bishop, Sharon Baldwin, Sue Barton and Gay Phillips – will attend a meet-and-greet, question-and-answer event on March 29, 2014, at Chi Gallery (2300 NW 17th St.) in Oklahoma City.

“It is expected that matters surrounding the state’s same-sex constitutional marriage ban will begin to move very quickly in the coming months,” Myers said, adding that the four women have agreed to serve as this year’s Pride 2014 Parade grand marshals. “That said, OKC Pride wants to do everything we can to create as much awareness as possible, and to aid in putting these four amazing civil rights pioneers out front at every opportunity.”

The event will begin at 4 p.m. with a one-hour, press-only question-and-answer session. A meet-and-greet event will follow from 5-7 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served. The event will be co-hosted by Cimarron Alliance Equality Center and The Gayly.

“We want everyone to be up to date on the very latest information surrounding this ground-breaking case,” Myers said. “Plus, this will be an excellent opportunity to get better acquainted with four ladies who, I suspect, will be judged by history as nothing short of heroes.”

Note to editors:

On Nov. 3, 2004, Oklahoma voters approved a state constitutional amendment limiting marriage in the state to opposite-gender couples. On Nov. 4, two Tulsa-area lesbian couples — Mary Bishop & Sharon Baldwin and Sue Barton & Gay Phillips — sued the state and federal governments for the right to marry and for recognition of the marriages of same-gender couples.

In the years since then, Sue and Gay have gotten married in both Canada and California. Together 29 years, they are now fighting for the right to have their marriage recognized by the state of Oklahoma. Mary and Sharon, who have been together 17 years, are still fighting for the right to marry in Oklahoma.

On January 14th, 2014, a U.S. Senior District Judge ruled that Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The ruling was immediately stayed, pending appeal.  

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OKC Pride Inc. is a 501 (c)3 non-profit, funded by community donations, membership dues and business sponsorship.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jim Craig/405.596.9826

TAYLOR DAYNE, MARTHA WASH TO HEADLINE OKC PRIDE 2014 CONCERT

Oklahoma City, OK, Feb. 24, 2014 – Kindt Steven Myers, president of OKC Pride, announced today that pop-music icons Taylor Dayne and Martha Wash will headline this year’s Pride Week entertainment roster. Both performers will take the stage on June 20, 2014, on the 39th St. Strip.

“We are fortunate that two such extraordinary performers will be joining us,” Myers said. “Both of these ladies, with the string of high-energy hits each of them have racked up over the years, will provide the perfect entertainment for OKC Pride 2014.”

Taylor Dayne is a Grammy nominated artist with numerous gold and platinum albums to her name, which have produced several number-one hits, including “Tell It To My Heart,” “Prove Your Love” and “Love Will Lead You Back.” Further, she is known for her song-writing talents, having co-written Tina Turner’s “Whatever You Want.” Dayne has also appeared in several acting roles, including on the Broadway stage in Elton John’s “Aida.”

Martha Wash, best known as The Original Weather Girl, is responsible for the classic dance hit “It’s Raining Men.” She gained much attention in the early 1990s, when she filed suit against the groups Black Box and C&C Music Factory when they failed to give her lead vocal credit on their albums. The Grammy nominated artist is the voice behind such hits as “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” and “Strike It Up.”

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OKC Pride Inc. is a 501 (c)3 non-profit, funded by community donations, membership dues and business sponsorship.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jim Craig/405.596.9826

A STATEMENT FROM OKC PRIDE ON THE MATTER OF OKLAHOMA’S SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BAN BEING RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Oklahoma City, OK, January 14, 2021 – Kindt Steven Myers, president of OKC Pride, has issued the following statement:

“My fellow OKC Pride Board members and I couldn’t be happier about the news that a federal judge has ruled Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. While this is just the first step in what is certain to be a long and likely challenging journey, I am confident we will soon be able to count the Sooner State among those that have chosen to extend the same rights and privileges to all its citizens.

“And while it’s true that the ruling has been stayed pending appeal, there is no denying that there are many LGBT couples in Oklahoma who, for the first time, have hope that their love has just as much value and means just as much as their straight counterparts’.”

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 Note to editors: The purpose of OKC Pride is to promote and celebrate pride, diversity, equality and community (primarily related to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression) in central Oklahoma. The mission of the organization is to provide leadership to meet the needs of the LGBT community through awareness, health and educational services.

OKC Pride Inc. is a 501 (c)3 non-profit, funded by community donations, membership dues and business sponsorship.