The Houses Our Ancestors Built
“Oklahoma’s gays aren’t arriving in any but a philosophical sense. They have always been here, always will be. But having arrived, they’re going to stay, both emotionally and physically. It is time, they say, to set down their emotional baggage – time to live in the houses their fathers built.”
Killackey, J., Clifford T., Stoner K. (1983, May 1.) ‘Gays Open Closet Door.’ The Daily Oklahoman. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-oklahoman-gaysopenclosetdailyo/144671858/
Today, we queer Oklahomans are living in the houses our ancestors built, though many of them remain unfinished, surrounded by the shadows of the bars and clubs we once frequented. One month after the article referenced above was published, Oklahoma would see its first reported AIDS death. We build houses, only for them to get torn down by those who do not understand who we are. In 1977, Oklahoma City was known nationally for Gender-affirming surgery. That October, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, after much controversy and criticism, banned the procedure. The operation was transferred to a different hospital, only for the program that provided the surgery to end in 1981. Senator Mary Helm (R-Oklahoma City) was the author of a bill that made it legal to fire teachers for “public homosexual activity.” The legislation passed in the Oklahoma Senate 42-0. In 1982, the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied a Tulsa woman, a lesbian, custody of her son after she divorced her husband and moved in with her partner. We have endured an incredible amount of pain at the hands of ignorance and yet we remain – with pride.
It is estimated that 138,000 individuals in Oklahoma identify as 2SLGBTQ+. We are a community of resilience. As we celebrate 2SLGBTQ+ History Month, we see the work that has been done by those before us. At the same time, we see much remains to be done, as we work on the blueprints of houses that have yet to be built. Our community continues to endure tumultuous political times, yet we move forward together in power. Once labeled an “Invisible Minority,” let us be invisible no more. To the queer Oklahomans who are no longer among us, your light will never fade from our collective memory. Let us continue towards queer healing and collective liberation. As we repair these houses that were built before us, and as we build anew, we will thrive.
This guest blog was written by Evan with Oklahoma Queer History, a platform that
shares LGBTQ+ History from Oklahoma.
Email: okqueerhistory@gmail.com | Instagram: @okqueerhistory
Image description: The Oklahoma Queer History logo: an outline of Oklahoma with “OKQH” surrounded by a rainbow circle.