“If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love.”

–Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

 

Sally Kern (Left). Lord Voldemort (Right).

When J.K. Rowling announced to a packed crowd at Carnegie Hall in New York that beloved Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore was gay, the crowd paused, and then, according to Time journalist Gina Elliott, erupted into applause. Astounded by the outpouring of support, Rowling said, “If I’d known it would make you so happy, I would have announced it years ago!” (Read the entire Time article).

A similar crowd of around 1,500 gathered recently at the Oklahoma State Capitol, not to support Dumbledore’s coming out, but to support Oklahoma representative Sally Kern. Kern recently erupted in the media after a video came out on Youtube, in which she states that homosexuality is a greater threat to America than terrorism.

There’s more. Kern also compares homosexuality to a “cancer in your little toe.” She says that “gays” (who have apparently formed some sort of super-organized secret society according to Kern) promote early education for the sole purpose of furthering the “gay agenda.” And what is this so-called gay agenda (the one that’s supposed to be more dangerous than terrorism)? In the video clip, Kern claims that gay people want to teach children that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle choice. Yes, god forbid that we teach acceptance to our children.

Kern says more. For example, she notes that the city council of Eureka Springs, Arkansas is already controlled by the dreaded “gays.” And she names a list of other city councils, also under enemy control. She mentions the evils of having the Gay-Straight Alliance in schools (again, getting along with each other despite our differences, Sally Kern says no!).

So what would our beloved representative Kern have to say about Dumbledore’s coming out? Undoubtedly, a lot. After all, not only did Dumbledore teach the evils of witchcraft to his students, but he taught them that love is the most powerful magic of all. He accepted people even when society condemned them for being different (for example, Hagrid (the half-breed) and Lupin (the werewolf)). At every turn, Dumbledore preaches love over hatred and power (of course, even he had to learn that the hard way as readers find out in Deathly Hallows).

And what would Kern have to say about Dumbledore’s Army? Like Dolores Umbridge, Kern would certainly want to crush this secret society. After all, Harry and his friends are not just training to defend themselves against the dark arts. They’re training for a war against the very kind of values Kern supports (i.e. intolerance and hatred). If Kern had worked for the Ministry of Magic, she would have certainly charged Dumbledore with furthering the “gay agenda” and attempting to overthrow the government. Sally Kern’s paranoia is, frankly, scary. And, like Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, this type of paranoia can have serious consequences. Fudge went to war against Harry and Dumbledore (the very people he should have been supporting). Kern also believes there’s a war at hand. She said in a recent interview, “I told the people when I was running for this office that I was a Christian candidate and that I believed we were in a cultural war for the very existence of our Judeo-Christian values” (read the entire article).

But as much as Kern resembles Umbridge or Fudge, her perspectives also sound strikingly similar to those of another Harry Potter character. Okay, Lord Voldemort is a lot of things Sally Kern is not (i.e. a murderous, snake-like wizard), but despite these surface differences, they do share one essential value. They hate people who were born different from them. Lord Voldemort hates squibs and Muggles, and Sally Kern hates people who are born gay.

Kern would say this is not true. She does not hate gay people, but “the strategy of gay rights supporters to defeat conservative candidates” (read the entire article).

To Sally Kern, I say:

I heard what you said. 

I am listening.

I am an Oklahoman.

And I do NOT support your views.

Watch the Youtube video that started the controversy:

Read more on the controversy at newsok.com.