Fifteen days after Nex Benedict died, Oklahoma Senator Ron Woods responded to a question about the 50+ Oklahoma bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community. A supporter of those bills, he answered that he represented a Christian constituency that "doesn't want that filth in Oklahoma."
His comments initially drew applause but received a far less generous hearing when they went viral. Woods was widely and rightly criticized, even by the Oklahoma Republican caucus. Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat said that Woods "had a serious lapse of judgment," and State Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn said that Woods' comments "disgusted" her.
Beloved community, hear my words. The LGBTQ+ community is not filth. There is nothing filthy, immoral, un-Christian, or unbiblical about being who you are and loving who you love. I am beyond frustrated to hear Christianity defined, yet again, as a religion that is so unapologetically transphobic and homophobic. There was a time I would have assured you that Woods does not represent "true Christianity,” but I confess it is becoming harder to do so. Christians like him are becoming so loud, and Christians who disagree with him have become so quiet, that I'm no longer clear on the character of "true Christianity" in the United States. What I can assure you is this: You belong. You are loved. You are not alone.
It is right that Woods be roundly condemned. How dare he call fellow humans "filth," especially so close on the heels of Nex's death. How dare he be so intentionally cruel. Those were raw, terrible days while we waited: waited on autopsy reports, waited for Nex's funeral, waited to understand the connection to the bullying and beatings that Nex endured in school. How dare he.
Something else is brewing
But something just as dangerous lurks just around the corner in Woods' comments. We are not all on the same page when it comes to defining and exercising "religious freedom," because the emergence of supermajorities in the Bible Belt is transforming this core constitutional value. A supermajority is whatever threshold is needed to override a gubernatorial veto. State supermajorities are at their highest levels in over 40 years, with 19 Republican supermajorities and 9 Democrat supermajorities.
According to Woods and others like him, a supermajority entitles them to flex, and flex hard. Such vast amounts of wind in their sails empowers them to write law reflecting their religious values, even if that law restricts the beliefs and practices of those not included in that majority. Supermajorities not only get to define what Christianity is, they get to write and enforce law based on that religiosity and then punish those who are out of line.
What happened at that panel?
On February 23, 2024, four elected officials from the Oklahoma Senate convened for a scheduled Legislative Update. Nex had just died, on February 8. Lee Guthrie of the Tahlequah Daily Press writes,
Audience member Cathy Cott asked two questions, the first on why State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters was “bullying” school districts and referring to teachers as “terrorists.”
“My second question is, why does the Legislature have such an obsession with the LGBTQ citizens of Oklahoma and what people do in their personal lives and how they raise their children?” Cott said.
All four panelists answered the first part of Cott’s question, but passed over the second until Cott stood up and demanded an answer. “Is there a reason why you won’t answer about the 50 bills targeting the LGBTQ community in the state of Oklahoma? If you are ashamed of those bills, they shouldn’t be there,” Cott said.
Two other senators offered brief remarks, then Woods spoke:
"My heart goes out to that scenario, if that is the case. But we represent a constituency. We are a Republican state, a supermajority in the house and senate. I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma.
We are a religious state and we are going to fight to keep that filth out of the state of Oklahoma because we are a Christian state. We are a moral state. We are a Republican state and I’m going to vote my district, and I’m going to vote my values, and we don’t want that in the state of Oklahoma.”
What happens in the wake of this church-state blend?
Lawmakers are now saying the quiet part out loud. States like Oklahoma, whose voting records have long categorized them as "a Republican state," are now being defined as a "Christian state." That is alarming. If Woods were only talking about statistics, he's not necessarily wrong: 79% of Oklahomans polled are Christians, compared to 18% among the growing category of religious "nones” and 2% claiming a non-Christian faith. Furthermore, Oklahoma is not alone or even the "most religious," ranking the 8th highest in the "most highly religious states."
But Woods' comments make clear that he's not just talking about statistics. He's talking about infusing state law with Christian values as defined by him, which means that the line between church and state is disappearing, with voters' blessings. President Barack Obama once said, "Religious freedom doesn't mean you can force others to live by your own beliefs." Ron Woods obviously disagrees.
How strange it must be for Oklahoma Muslims, Jews, and atheists to hear that they live in a Christian state. The Jewish Federation of Oklahoma said they fight all forms of discrimination and hate, adding that saying Oklahoma is a "Christian state" goes against the United States Constitution, which "unequivocally prohibits the government from establishing or endorsing any religion." I wonder if they are worried, wondering if this brand of Christianity is going to be friendly to them. It is certainly not friendly to the LGBTQ+ community.
The popular meme is right: "Freedom of religion means you can practice any religion you want. Religious freedom doesn't mean you can use your religious beliefs to dictate what others can and cannot do. Your religion guides you, not all of us."
You belong. You are loved. You are not alone.
Queries
In the Quaker world, queries are an old and beloved practice. A 2018 QuakerSpeak video defines a query as a gut check, "a kind of spiritual and moral inventory that Friends do well to keep track of." The more I become acquainted with the unprogrammed side of the Quaker world, the more I appreciate queries.
Some queries for this topic:
Given such sweeping legal trends, it can feel like the only meaningful advocacy work is to change laws, a monumental effort. How can we celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community in meaningful ways while large legislation swirls around us?
Allies: One of our four principles of allyship is that it is unreasonable to ask LGBTQ+ folks to bear all the risk. What does visibility look like, especially if you live in a supermajority state?
LGBTQ+ folks: How are your spirits? What practices have proven life-giving? What are you looking forward to?
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