Kern Clip Takes Off, Generates 5000 Emails

Wow, that little Sally Kern clip tossed out by the Victory Fund last week really took off on the intrawebs with the video getting over 400,000 views in just a few days. Kern told her fellow Oklahoma legislators that she's already received more than 5000 emails including a few death threats.

A state lawmaker who declared that homosexuality is a greaterthreat to the United States than terrorism said Monday that she received a standing ovation from her fellow Republican legislators.

Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, said she has been barraged with more than 5,000 e-mails since she made national headlines over the weekend. Most of the communications were critical, and several contained language that Kern said she has never heard before.

The lawmaker related some of the e-mails to Republican caucus members in a closed meeting Monday. She later said the group gave her a standing ovation. Rep. Al McAffrey, the only openly gay member of the state Legisla ture, said he resents Kern's assertion that homosexuality is worse than terrorism.

"Gays are law-abiding; they pay taxes. Some have children," he said, noting that he is a father and grandfather. Kern said she has made these comments about four times to various Republican groups and that apparently someone secretly recorded her comments at a meeting in January.

An audio presentation of her comments first appeared on a Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund Web site; then on YouTube. The YouTube file had received nearly 400,000 hits by Monday evening.

Kern said many of those who sent her electronic messages would deny her right to free speech.

"To put this simply: As a Christian I believe homosexuality is not moral," she said. "Obviously, you have the right as an American to choose that lifestyle, but I also have the right to express my views, and my fellow Oklahomans have the right to debate these issues."

Both GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign have demanded apologies from Kern who says will not do so.