~ Pictured above, – (left) Lance with Chris Kattan on the set of “Just Crazy Enough.” Kattan played both twins in the movie.
Lance with the rest of the, “Just Crazy Enough” cast, (l-r) Eleanor Threatt, Jonathan Beck Reed, Desmond Mason, Judith Midyett, Josh Norman, Nikhil Bhoplay and Don Taylor. ~

Lance McDaniel is the Executive Director of the deadCENTER Film Festival, Oklahoma’s largest film festival, and an independent filmmaker who has worked on 13 feature films. This past summer, Lance co-wrote and directed the family comedy, Just Crazy Enough, starring Chris Kattan, and produced a documentary about the first female Governor of Oklahoma, First & Female. Lance’s feature length documentary, Widowbago, won Best Oklahoma film in 2007. And, his short, The Gymnast, won a Best Actress award at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Lance is also a DGA 1st AD, working on four features for Oscar winning producer Gray Frederickson, the Chickasaw Nation’s first feature film, Pearl, and the Brooks Douglass story Heaven’s Rain. Lance served as on-set dresser and props for Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me. In Los Angeles, Lance worked as Producers Assistant for Oscar winner Al Ruddy on Million Dollar Baby and Cloud 9.
Lance has a Masters in Film from Oklahoma City University and an undergraduate degree from Stanford University, where he currently serves as Event Chair for his 20 year reunion.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in Alva, went to college at Stanford University and worked as an internet consultant in San Francisco, London, & New York before quitting my job and moving to Los Angeles to make movies. I retuned back home to Oklahoma 7 years ago to make independent films and be closer to my family.

2. How did your career in film begin?

After completing a film program at NYU, OCU’s Fritz Keirsch got me an interview with Gray Frederickson, who hired me to be his assistant on Cloud 9, a beach volleyball comedy filming in Malibu. The other producer on the film, Al Ruddy, then hired me to be his assistant on Million Dollar Baby, and both he and the film won the Oscar. After that, Gray asked me to move back to Oklahoma and help produce a series of low budget horror films. I’ve been here ever since.

3. How would you best describe your style?

I typically dress in suit and tie if I am speaking for work or fundraising. Otherwise, I am very casual and tend to dress to amuse myself.

4. What prompted you to begin writing?

I knew I wanted to write my own film scripts from the beginning. Both feature films I have directed were based on scripts I co-wrote with my producing partner, Sean Lynch. I have also been writing a weekly column on independent film for the Friday Paper for the past two years.

5. What is the most embarrassing thing in your career?

I do not embarrass very easily. But, I have certainly worked on some films that were embarrassing.

6. If you could work with one other writer or director, who would it be?

Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho” is the film that made me want to make my own films. His career is filled with huge risks like “Elephant” and wild successes like “Good Will Hunting” and “Milk.” I would love to work with him at some point.

7. Any hobbies?

I go to church at St. Luke’s United Methodist, read a lot of fiction, watch a lot of movies, go to live concerts and see as many OKC Thunder games as possible.

8. Goals for the future both personally and professionally.

My goal is to grow deadCENTER into a huge local event that draws national attention to Oklahoma City as a creative destination. And, I’d like to continue writing and directing really fun feature films.

9. How has being the Executive Director of the deadCenter Film Festival added your already fabulous career?

Working at deadCENTER has been awesome. I volunteered for 5 years before being hired. So, I knew it would allow me to meet great filmmakers and watch lots of movies. But, the best part about being Executive Director is that I get to go around the state teaching high school kids about the different film opportunities for them here in Oklahoma. And, I now sit on the board for several creative organizations.

10. What is the most exciting part of your career?

The most exciting part of my career is getting to create something from nothing. I just finished a feature film, Just Crazy Enough, which took me two months to write, three years to raise money, one month to film and a year to finish editing and adding music. And, now that it is done, I get to start the whole process over again.

11. What keeps you motivated and passionate about what you do?

I am motivated by being around other people that are constantly working to improve their own life and the lives of those around them. Oklahoma City is filled with great artists, musicians, athletes and business people that leverage their success to improve the city and help those that need it most.

12. Tell us about where you grew up and about your parents.

I grew up in Alva, Oklahoma. My parents met working in the local Methodist Church and then had three boys, of which I am the youngest.

13. Final thoughts.

I am excited that the Gayly is back in action. And, I am really looking forward to Pride this year.

All creatures great & small, Dr. Chris takes care of them all. Pictured here with his own 232 lb Mastiff named Betty and a tiny rescue named Mumford, is Dr. Chris Rispoli.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO., and grew up in several areas of the US, being both an Air Force brat and 1st Lieutenant in the Army Reserves and National Guard.

Most of my formative years, however, were spent between Newtown, Ct and New Haven, Ct., where I attended grade school and completed my undergraduate BS in Business Administration.  In 1992 I moved to Stillwater, OK., where I completed my veterinary education at Oklahoma State University – GO COWBOYS!!  What an experience (Oklahoma that is!).

In 1997 I graduated and moved to south Florida and bought a home in Wilton Manors, a sub-city within Ft. Lauderdale.  I practiced medicine for 5 years in south Florida until that dreadful and heart breaking day, September 11th, 2001 (also my 38th birthday).  After this traumatic event I reevaluated my life and decided that I was happiest in Oklahoma.  I packed my bags, sold my house and came right back here to all of you and your wonderful warm personalities and way of life

2. When did your love of pets begin?

I don’t know when my love for pets started I just always remember having them from dogs to cats to rabbits, gerbils, guinea pigs, fish, chickens etc….  I always enjoyed the caring for and upkeep of them.

3. What prompted you to become a Veterinarian and where did you attend college for this?

After undergraduate college I worked for 5 years in the retail business trying to save money to open a pet facility of some sort, since I knew I wasn’t smart enough to be a Veterinarian.  During this time I also matured and realized you can do anything you set your mind to and at age 28 I decided that I was smart enough and started applying to veterinary schools.

4. How would you best describe your connection with pets?

My connection to pets is pretty exciting.  I don’t really know what I do but the animals all seem to trust me. We move slow and lovingly with them and most of them relax and let us work on them.  I think it is a level of trust they have for me because I am not aggressive or try to overpower them.

5. Tell us about your own pets.

My partner Jimmy Shumsky and I have 7 dogs and two cats that live at home with us.  Lele kitty is 19 yo, Lorretta is a crazy 2 year old kitten, then for the dogs there is Chelsea our 16.5 year old Jack Russell Terrier, Avery a 6 yo Rat Terrier, Mickey a 6 y.o. Beagle Terrier Cross, Brook a chunky Pomeranian Chihuahua mix, Connie and Dixie our two 6 pound Chihuahuas and finally the love of my life (aside from Jimmy of course) Betty Louis our 231 pound English Mastiff.  We love them all and the king size bed holds all of us at night including Betty.

6. Tell us about Gentle Care Animal Clinic, your vision for it and how long you have owned it.

Gentle Care Animal Hospital opened on April 16th, 2006. It is located in the NW section of OKC at 17200 N May Avenue Suite 900.  The hospital is different in looks as well as attitude from other veterinary practices.  Our clients are our family and all the animals are treated as if they were our own.  You won’t find an uptight hospital staff here; we are very relaxed and enjoy practicing good medicine while taking care of our clients financial and emotional needs. We make pet ownership affordable and enjoyable not stressful and expensive.   All my clients have my cell number and I am available to them at any time between 7 am and 11 pm every day of the week. My vision is to remain a smaller clinic where I can give great service to my clients and their furry friends.  I would like to add an additional doctor someday but we will have to wait on that for now until we can get into a bigger space.

7. Do you work with any pet rescue organizations?

A large part of my practice is rescue medicine.  This is my way of giving back to the community.  All my rescues only pay cost for services so we can get these strays back to health and into a good and loving forever home.

8. What keeps you motivated and passionate about what you do?

Fate directed me to the profession that God must have had in mind for me.  The animals and their love and the love and support of the clients are what keep me passionate and motivated.  The only way to explain it is that I have done this for 15 years now and I still can’t wait to get to work every morning.  That’s worth everything!

9. Any hobbies?

My biggest hobby is my yard and gardens.  I couldn’t tell you the name or origins of the plants but I love watching them grow.  My yard is my therapy and where I get my best thinking done. What makes this hobby great is I can enjoy it with all the animals in the warmer weather.

10. Tell us about where you grew up and about how your childhood influenced who you are today.

I grew up primarily in Newtown Ct. from 10 to early 20’s then back again after undergraduate.  I was brought up in an Italian Roman Catholic household with rather strict parents but very loving.  I was involved in the boy scouts were I became an Eagle Scout, church youth groups and school activities that taught me the importance of treating others as you would want to be treated and how to interact with others in positive ways.

The Gay Agenda made its debut performance last month spending three days in Oklahoma City on the Plaza. Pictured are Randy Roberts Potts of Dallas (creator of The Gay Agenda) and friends Chrys Lemon and Jorge Docabo both of Washington, DC during the first “performance art” live artistic event of The Gay Agenda.

By Randy Potts

And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
And when ye come into a house, salute it.
And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Matthew 10: 11-14

We are a rag-tag band, we who make up this project called “the gay agenda.” We have no permanent offices, no funding from any large organizations, no employees, no infrastructure of any kind. We are bound by an idea, and this idea is enough to sustain us. Following the writer’s dictum of “show, don’t tell,” we make no demands, no proscriptions, no bold statements. We are simply asking you to look at us in a way you may have never looked before. What you do with this new perspective is out of our hands.

We are possessed with good news and yet we do not beg you to hear it; we only ask you to watch as we live out our lives.

Our lives, like yours, consist of simple pleasures. On the weekends, we can be seen drinking coffee in the morning, eating breakfast, reading a paper curled up on the sofa with the cat. We rake the leaves in the front yard; prune the fruit tree in the back. We watch TV, work a puzzle, make a grocery list and pay the bills. We choose a movie to watch then sit together on the couch, perhaps with an arm around each other. If it is cold, we find a blanket. We get sleepy, we yawn; we decide it’s time for bed.

Our lives outside the home, like yours, are too varied to capture. Even so, our lives inside the home follow similar rhythms, similar dictates. For some of us, there are children to get ready for school, homework to help with, papers to sign for the teacher. For others, there is mother to care for; maybe she is sick and cannot leave her chair. Some of us live alone, maybe we have a dog or a cat; maybe we sing our favorite song in the shower as loud as we can because there is no one to disturb with our unpolished voices.

We are each, like you, different in our own way, and yet when we walk in the door and put down our grocery bags, when we take off our coat and put the keys on the table, when we take off our shoes, we look just like you.

There has been a lot of talk the last few years of a secret agenda, a gay agenda; a sinister plan to circumvent natural law and destroy society as we know it. We are asking for special rights, they say. We are asking for special protections, some say.

It is true that we have an agenda. It is true that we ask for rights. It is even true that we ask for equal protection under the law. In the world outside these United States, it is also true that these rights are special. Inalienable. Self-evident, even.

In all this talk, some have built a wall and made an “us” and a “them,” and we have continually asked that this wall be torn down. Robert Frost once said:
“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, that wants it down” …and we’re not sure what that something is, but we feel it too – we feel that this wall has not made us good neighbors. This wall makes no sense. We are just like you. We live next door. Come, and see.

What is “The Gay Agenda?”

• “The Gay Agenda” (TGA) is a roving performance piece that uses empty storefronts instead of a stage, featuring Randy Roberts Potts and his partner Keaton (or other couple) inhabiting a makeshift living room and engaging in an array of activities popular among gay couples: reading, checking email, cooking dinner, watching television and more. Viewers, who do not interact directly with the couple, can observe with their own eyes the uncensored truth of what lies at the heart of the struggle for equal rights among gay Americans: the desire to live in peace.
• “TGA” will bring a message of gay acceptance to people across the country—some who are non-accepting on issues of equality, or ambivalent, or who perhaps have never known or even met a gay person in their lives.
• “TGA” is a one-of-a-kind traveling immersive installation that gives curious viewers a glimpse into the lives of gay Americans and highlights what gay individuals are truly seeking: the ability to live their lives in quiet dignity.
• “TGA” highlights, in a very unique and very real way, the fact that gay Americans are no different from anyone else.
• “TGA” was personally conceptualized by Randy Roberts Potts

 

Taking approximately 70% of the vote, Al McAffrey makes a clean sweep against his Republican opponent in the special election held on Valentine’s Day for Oklahoma State Senate seat in District 46. McAffrey is Oklahoma’s first openly gay Legislator serving at the state’s capitol.

“Thanks to all my supporters; those who supported me financially, who volunteered and those who voted for me,” said McAffrey in a statement to the Gayly. “I plan to represent this Senate District the same way I spoke for those in my House District and my Open Door Policy remains in effect.” McAffrey also paid a special thanks to David Stinson for, “putting up with me,” for his added support and, in particular, putting together his victory party.

McAffrey is a strong supporter of all Civil Rights and his voting record shows he has consistently voted for the benefit of seniors, the preservation of human rights and the middle class.

“Tonight, the people of Senate District 46 have put their faith in me to represent them. I do not take their faith in me lightly or for granted,” McAffrey Added in a statement sent to his supporters. “I am committed to fighting for the values that define our district: fairness, equality and moving Oklahoma forward.”

At the victory party for newly elected Senator Al McAffrey, pictured above are McAffrey (c) and Richard Ogden (l) and Steve Cortes (r).

Maggie Gooch with her good friend. Both support the rights of LGBT people.

It is painfully obvious that gays are discriminated against for simply loving the person they happen to love. Whether a gay, lesbian or transgender person is in public with their life partner or just going on a date, it is forbidden that couple hold hands or show any other public display of affection, particularly in this region of the United States.

“What troubles me about people who are angry about LGBT people or with same gender marriage is that it just causes the young gay or lesbian student who hears that to feel shame and guilt,” said Toby Jenkins, the Executive Director of Oklahomans for Equality in Tulsa. “Living in the shadow of such shame will make them feel like they will never find someone to love.”

Courtney Breshears, also of Tulsa said, “I feel like I’m not equal in this region unless I’m in a gay club or a gay event.” Breshears has been on both sides, having first been married to a man before she came out at the age of 24.

“No one ever looked at my husband and me for holding hands or any other public displays of affection. Since I have been with my partner, unless I’m in the privacy of our own home, backyard or at a close friend’s house, we do have to hide any affection in public. I wish that this region was friendlier toward gay couples.”

We did find some of our straight allies willing to not only speak out for gay rights and gay marriage, but willing to go on record as such.

“Why should gay people be judged for who they love? Straight people don’t get judged for whom they love, so why should gays?” said Maggie Gooch of Oklahoma City. “Gay people are humans too! Who are we to tell them who they can and can’t love, marry and have a family with.”

Gooch is 20 years old and co-owner of “Chasin’ Tail, a pet store in Oklahoma City who concluded by saying, “They (gays) deserve to live a happy, normal life without anyone to judge them for who they are or who they love.”

More allies are Dianna Harris and her youngest son Max. Harris told Max when he was 12 years old that he had a gay brother, to which he replied, “That doesn’t matter mom. He’s still my brother!” Harris is owner of Bad Grannies Bazaar.

Ironically, both allies we found to speak out both have businesses on OKC’s Plaza District; the very place where Randy Roberts Potts, “Gay Agenda,” will make its Oklahoma premier.

To sum it up, we see times are changing. Partly because of great LGBT leaders and organizations who have led the way to such change. We do also see more allies standing up for the rights of the LGBT community.

If anyone you know is feeling lonely or discriminated against, there are groups who are always there to help: The Trevor Project, Cimmaron Alliance, Oklahomans for Equality, The Equality Network, The Kansas Equality Coalition and many more. Just reach out and you will find people just like you.

Charlene Fifer (l) and Courtney Breshears (r) of Tulsa. Courtney said she wished she could be more open in public and Charlene said she never had to actually come out to her family because she was with someone and they figured it out.

Randy Roberts Potts and boyfriend Keaton begin their “Gay Agenda” tour in Oklahoma City in early February.

“The Gay Agenda” is a roving performance piece that uses empty storefronts instead of a stage, featuring Randy Roberts Potts and his partner Keaton inhabiting a makeshift living room and engaging in an array of activities popular among gay couples: reading, checking email, cooking dinner, watching television and more. Viewers, who do not interact directly with Potts and Keaton, can observe with their own eyes the uncensored truth of what lies at the heart of the struggle for equal rights among gay Americans: the desire to live in peace.  “The Gay Agenda” was personally conceptualized by Potts.

The Liberty Education Fund (LEF) has announced it will be the exclusive national not-for-profit partner of Potts project.

“Liberty Education Forum is the exclusive national partner of “The Gay Agenda,” and as such we’re not looking to make this a one-off. This is a project that can — and should — be replicated across the country,” said Gregory T. Angelo, Executive Director of LEF. “The message of equal rights for all is universal, and the more everyday citizens see that gay people are everyday citizens just like them, the closer we come to achieving equal rights for all Americans.”

“The Gay Agenda,” a one-of-a-kind traveling immersive installation that gives curious viewers a glimpse into the lives of gay Americans and highlights what gay individuals are truly seeking: the ability to live their lives in quiet dignity.

“The Gay Agenda” highlights, in a very unique and very real way, the fact that gay Americans are no different from anyone else,” said Potts. “In that sense, Liberty Education Forum is the ideal national partner for this project—their mission to bring a message of gay acceptance to conservatives and people of faith throughout the country is perfectly in line with the goal of “The Gay Agenda.” I’m excited they’re on-board with this project.”

“Oklahoma City is a great location to begin our partnership with Randy and “The Gay Agenda” project,” added Angelo. “It’s a city situated at the heart of heartland America, and the perfect place to start the conversation of acceptance and equality “The Gay Agenda” will promote.

“There are so many individuals and organizations lobbying, protesting, and rallying for equal rights, but no one is expressing the importance of equality to everyday Americans in personal terms like “The Gay Agenda” does. “The Gay Agenda” will bring a message of gay acceptance to people across the country—some who are non-accepting on issues of equality, or ambivalent, or who perhaps have never known or even met a gay person in their lives. “The Gay Agenda” speaks to them, and I’m proud Randy has chosen Liberty Education Forum as the exclusive national partner for this important initiative.”

“The Gay Agenda” is possible only because of the financial backing of individual donors and corporate supporters. Donations in support of “The Gay Agenda” may be made directly through the contributions page on the Liberty Education Forum website at www.libertyeducationforum.org (donors should indicate their contribution is made “In Honor of” Randy Roberts Potts).

“The Gay Agenda” will make its Oklahoma premier Feb. 10-12, 2012 at 7:00pm until Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 2:00pm at 1726 NW 16th, OKC on the Plaza District. Additional engagements to be announced shortly; follow the Gay Agenda and the Gayly on Facebook for updated information.

The Public Hearing for the $73.2 million rate increase proposed by OG&E began Monday, December 13, 2011 before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in the 3^rd floor courtroom at the Jim Thorpe Building. Testimony and cross examination of witnesses is scheduled for the morning sessions with public comments at 1:30pm each day. At stake is a monthly increase of about $6.60 in the base rate for most OG&E residential customers and increased usage cost to many commercial users. What has made this hearing different is that it is coming not only at a time when people in Oklahoma and Arkansas are coming off of a summer with the highest electric bills of all time, but at a time when OG&E’s profits are at an all time high. Most affected are the fixed income groups like seniors and the disabled, including aids-related disabilities.  Disturbing to many is the fact that conserving electricity doesn’t help in this situation because the fee increases are fixed regardless of usage to the residential customer.

OG&E is requesting this increase so it can make an 11.25% return on equity (ROE) to its investors in order to be able to raise money on Wall Street for its projects. Another rate increase request is scheduled for sometime in 2013. The Oklahoma State Attorney’s office is asking for a $4 million decrease in rates considering the excess revenues this summer. According to PRNewswire, the board of directors of OG&E Energy, OG&E Utility’s parent company on December 6, 2011 approved an increase to $1.57 per share annual dividend to its stockholders up from the originally projected $1.50 per share. Also in December 2011 OG&E Energy stock hit a 52 month high of $54.21.

The only OG&E executive scheduled to testify before the Commission is Jessie Langston, VP of retail Natural Gas. OG&E is also presenting testimony from experts within its company as to why it needs the increase at this time.  Attorneys for the Oklahoma State Attorney General’s office, the AARP, the Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers, Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart, and with several other interests were represented on the first day of testimony to dispute OG&E’s claim that this rate hike is required.

In the afternoon, many individual consumers and consumer groups let their feelings be known to the Commissioner. The Oklahoma Sponsoring Committee comprised of 25 congregations and non-profit groups concerned about pressures mounting against families in the Oklahoma City metro area presented their findings through spokesperson Melodie Garneau. Not only had OG&E Energy made record profits in the last couple of years, but they also had 5.5 times the net income to pay their bondholders. This in comparison to the 2-3 times net income that comparable utilities in other areas have.

Many individual consumers statewide spoke to the Commission about the hardships the past summer had imposed upon them and how this rate increase would make things even more difficult.  One consumer asked, “How much money does OG&E spend on the statewide commercials telling everyone what a good job they do?”  Other speakers included Zakk Flash of the Occupy Norman movement who appeared with four other members.  Mr. Flash stated, “In 2009, OG&E demanded $110 million from their customers in Oklahoma. That year they also got $13.5 million dollars out of 65,000 people in Arkansas, via the Public Service Commission. Now, the electrical monopoly asks for $73 million dollars more per year, right on the heels of receiving $8.8 million in June from the Arkansas Public Service Commission.”

Mr. Flash went on to say, “Keep in mind that this is not a one-time increase – OG&E is seeking to once again increase the base charge borne by all customers every single month, regardless of how little electricity a customer uses. In 2002 the charge was $2/month. We currently pay $13/month and, if this proposal passes, we can expect to see $20/month as the bare minimum. That means those who use the least are already paying the most per kilowatt hour. And now OG&E would like them to pay even more.”

The hearings continued to December 22, 2011.  However, should additional time be needed the hearings will pick up again on January 3, 2012 on the 3^rd floor of the Jim Thorpe Bldg. near the State Capitol in Oklahoma City. The decision of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission is expected in early January, 2012.

[box]For more information or questions about the rate increases, contact the Oklahoma Corporation Commission; OKC office (405) 521-221, or Tulsa office, (918) 581-2296. You may also call OG&E (405) 553-3000 and ask for Brian Alford or Donald Rowlett.[/box]

Zakk Flash with, “Occupy Norman,” speaks to the Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners against OG&E’s proposed rate hike.

Under the current Oklahoma Law, LGBT families are largely invisible. Because of this, extra-legal attention must be paid to protect LGBT families. The State of Oklahoma does not recognize same sex marriage, thus inhibiting same sex couples from jointly adopting a child.

In states like Oklahoma where same sex adoption is not permitted, there are several rights the parents and/or children are not afforded:  neither the parent or child will have visitation rights if the parents separate; the child cannot claim inheritances in case of death; if one parent dies, the second parent has no legal right to custody of the child; a parent without legal rights to a child cannot register the child for school; parents cannot make medical decisions for the child; the child has no claim to insurance benefits of the parent; and same sex parents without adoption rights do not benefit from the generous tax deductions available to heterosexual parents.

Under Oklahoma Law, the following persons are eligible to adopt a child:

1. A husband and wife jointly if both spouses are at least twenty-one (21) years of age;
2. Either the husband or wife if the other spouse is a parent or a relative of the child;
3. An unmarried person who is at least twenty-one (21) years of age; or
4. A married person at least twenty-one (21) years of age who is legally separated from the other spouse. The statute requires a couple that intends to adopt a child to be married.  Due to the issue that a same sex marriage in Oklahoma is not recognized, a same sex couple cannot meet the requirements under the Oklahoma adoption statute.

However, there are options available to afford same sex couples the opportunity to jointly raise a child and be afforded a legal relationship with the child. Oklahoma Law permits an unmarried person who is at least 21 years old to adopt.  Because a single person is permitted to adopt in Oklahoma, same sex couples often chose one person in the relationship to go through the process of legally adopting the child. Once the adoption is complete as to that person, the couple will then go through the process of establishing “co-guardianship.”  This grants the guardian certain powers and rights over the minor child, such as being able to make medical decisions regarding the child and enrolling the child in school. Once a guardianship is in place, “Letters of Guardianship” are issued by the court to the guardians that evidence the powers and rights over the minor.

There are several steps that must be taken and several requirements that must be met in order for an adoption to be finalized. In adopting an infant, the first step is to locate a birth mother who wishes to give her child up for adoption. Your attorney would then file a Petition for Adoption with the Court. Before the child is born, the Court may enter “Pre-Birth Orders” or a “Pre-Birth Temporary Orders”.

Several requirements must be completed prior to the birth of the child. These procedures include several background checks including but not limited to a criminal background check, a Child Abuse and Neglect Information System check, as well as fingerprinting and a Federal Bureau of Investigation and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation check of each applicant and adult residing in the household.

A home study must also be completed by a certified licensed social worker. The social worker will file a report with the court before the finalization hearing.
After the child is born, the child is released to go home with the adoptive parent. A hearing will be held within a week or two. At this hearing, the birth mother will relinquish her parental rights and the biological father’s rights will be terminated if he is not objecting to the adoption.  If the father is objecting to the adoption, a separate hearing will be held to determine if the court will allow the adoption to proceed over the biological father’s objections.

If everything goes as planned, the finalization hearing will be held between 4 and 6 months after the initial hearing and the adoption process will be completed.

In summary, be very hopeful.  There are legal ways for a same sex couple to adopt a child. However, like heterosexual couples, adoption most always requires hiring a qualified attorney to handle such affairs.

Ashley Manning is an attorney with Diversified Legal Services in Oklahoma City. For more information, call (405) 601-2600 or visit www.ladylawyersokc.com.

All across the nation, Jan 16^th will be the day to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy by working together to tackle area problems. Local residents are so encouraged to join hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country in making the holiday a day on, not a day off by serving others.

“Martin Luther King devoted his life to advancing equality, social justice, and opportunity for all, and taught us that everyone has a role to play in making America what it ought to be,” said Anthony Miller of Day of Service.  “By serving today and throughout the year, we honor Dr. King and help realize his dream of equality and opportunity for all.”

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal holiday, and organizers see the milestone as a perfect opportunity for Americans to remember Dr. King’s life and legacy and to honor him by taking action to solve problems in their communities.

Projects are taking place in all fifty states and include delivering meals, refurbishing schools and community centers, collecting food and clothing, signing up mentors, reading to children, promoting nonviolence, and more. Local communities are encouraged to “make it a holiday on,” of service.

Many organizations are using MLK Day as the springboard for service throughout the year. Because of the economic downturn, needs in our community are particularly great right now. Addressing the challenge by communities working together will take a sustained effort, and we hope many who are serving today will make an ongoing commitment to serve throughout the year.

The Corporation for National and Community Service leads President Barack Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. Visit nationalservice.gov for more information.

It is not the usual policy of the Gayly to endorse any political candidate for public office. However, in a rare departure from this policy, the Gayly is pleased to announce its endorsement of Representative Al McAffrey for election to Oklahoma State Senate District 46, soon to be vacated by Senator Andrew Rice.

Since first elected in 2006 to the House of Representatives District 88 as the first openly gay elected public official to serve the Oklahoma Legislature, McAffrey has represented his district in an exemplary manner and been an ongoing source of inspiration to all in the LGBT community. McAffrey’s service at the capitol has earned him personal respect from the elected officials with whom he has served and opened a pathway to better understanding for the LGBT community as a whole in the OKC Metro area. It is also unlikely that anyone working with Rep. McAffrey would not have an improved understanding and tolerance for gays and lesbians in their own cities and possibly their own families.

A review of Rep. McAffrey’s voting record shows he has consistently voted for the benefit of seniors, the preservation of human rights and the middle class. His campaigns have shown intelligence, common sense and attention to issues when the inclination of the opposition in this day and time is to demonize minorities and pander to fear in order to get votes for their election.

He is an outstanding community leader, father, and grandfather born and raised in the State of Oklahoma. McAffrey is known as a gay legislator, but because of his courageous and historic accomplishments, future LGBT elected officials in Oklahoma will one day be known only as elected officials who, “just happen to be gay.”

With this in mind, the Gayly is proud to endorse Rep. Al McAffrey for State Senate District 46 seat. The special election (OKC area) will be held February 14, 2012. Check the State Election Board website for your voting site. Oh, and don’t forget your government issued I.D.