OKLAHOMA CITY — Brittany Novotny never intended to become a transgender activist.
Novotny
But she said she couldn’t stand on the sidelines after Oklahoma legislators filed, by her count, 22 anti-transgender bills this year.
Novotny, a Waurika attorney who is transgender, is forming a new Oklahoma political action committee to fight the influx of anti-transgender legislation at the state Capitol.
She’s hopeful that her Securing Liberty PAC can advocate on behalf of transgender Oklahomans in a way that resonates with the GOP majority in the state Legislature.
Anti-transgender bills run counter to the Republican principle of limited government, Novotny said.
Proposed bills that would limit gender-affirming care for LGBTQ residents or ban drag shows set a precedent for big government to interfere in any Oklahoman’s life, she said.
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“We’re not going to beat these bills by rehashing the same far-left rhetoric and playing victim,” she said. “We’re going to defeat these bills by finding common ground with Republicans in the Legislature and helping them to see this isn’t necessarily the winning issue they think it is.”
Novotny made a name for herself in Oklahoma politics when in 2010 she ran as a Democrat against former Rep. Sally Kern, who became nationally known after she said homosexuality was a greater threat to America than terrorism.
Republican lawmakers filed numerous bills this year to block children and some adults from receiving gender-affirming care that includes puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone therapies and gender-reassignment surgeries.
There are also several bills targeting drag performances, including one that says drag performers or drag show organizers could face up to two years in prison and $20,000 in fines if the event occurs on public property or in a place where it could be viewed by children.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has called for a statewide ban on gender transition surgeries and therapies for minors. Numerous Republicans have also said they want to ensure that no taxpayer dollars are used to fund gender-affirming care.
Transgender Oklahomans just want to be left alone, Novotny said.
“Unfortunately, in the last year or so, the attacks by the Legislature on trans issues started coming fast,” she said. “We went from being a group of people that no one thought twice about to being the target of extremist legislation.”
Last year, Stitt signed bills to prevent transgender athletes from participating in female sports and to require students to use the school restroom that corresponds to the gender on their birth certificate.
Securing Liberty began fundraising on Monday. The group will be required to file a public notice with the state Ethics Commission within 10 days of raising $1,000.
Novotny said her top priority is to commission polling on transgender issues in key GOP legislative districts because she expects that the subject is not top of mind for most voters. The PAC may also send out mailers in some districts to inform voters that their legislators are targeting transgender Oklahomans, she said.
Novotny also hopes to encourage more transgender Oklahomans to meet with their legislators.
Political consultant Kris Masterman said he and Novotny have discussed for months the idea of creating a PAC devoted to transgender issues.
Masterman said he has several transgender friends and that he’s concerned about the rise in anti-transgender legislation that is becoming a trend in red states across the country.
“I’m close to this issue, and I think it’s important for Republicans to speak out,” he said. A registered Republican, Masterman used to be a leader in the Oklahoma Democratic Party but said he switched his political affiliations after he felt alienated by the party.
Oklahomans for Equality in Tulsa and Freedom Oklahoma in Oklahoma City also advocate for LGBTQ Oklahomans.
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Tulsa-area state legislators and how to contact them
Sen. Nathan Dahm

DISTRICT 33
Sen. Nathan Dahm (R)
Hometown: Broken Arrow
District area: South and east Tulsa County
Phone: 405-521-5551
Sen. Dana Prieto

DISTRICT 34
Sen. Dana Prieto (R)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Owasso and northern Tulsa County
Phone: 405-521-5566
Email Sen. Prieto
Sen. Jo Anna Dossett

DISTRICT 35
Sen. Jo Anna Dossett (D)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: South and central Tulsa
Phone: 405-521-5624
Sen. John Haste

DISTRICT 36
Sen. John Haste (R)
Hometown: Broken Arrow
District area: Eastern Tulsa County, western Wagoner County
Phone: 405-521-5602
Email Sen. Haste
Sen. Todd Gollihare

DISTRICT 12
Sen. Todd Gollihare (R)
Hometown: Kellyville
District area: Creek County
Phone: 405-521-5528
Sen. Kevin Matthews

DISTRICT 11
Sen. Kevin Matthews (D)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Northern Tulsa, southeast Osage County
Phone: 405-521-5598
Sen. Joe Newhouse

DISTRICT 25
Sen. Joe Newhouse (R)
Hometown: Broken Arrow
District area: South Tulsa, Bixby, Broken Arrow and Jenks
Phone: 405-521-5675
Sen. Dave Rader

DISTRICT 39
Sen. Dave Rader (R)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Central and south Tulsa
Phone: 405-521-5620
Sen. Cody Rogers

DISTRICT 37
Sen. Cody Rogers (R)
Hometown: Tulsa
District Area: West Tulsa County
Phone: 405-521-5600
Rep. Meloyde Blancett

DISTRICT 78
Rep. Meloyde Blancett (D)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Midtown Tulsa
Phone: 405-557-7334
Rep. Jeff Boatman

DISTRICT 67
Rep. Jeff Boatman (R)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Southeast Tulsa
Phone: 405-557-7341
Rep. Amanda Swope

DISTRICT 71
Rep. Amanda Swope (D)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Brookside in Tulsa
Phone: 405-557-7361
Rep. Suzanne Schreiber

DISTRICT 70
Rep. Suzanne Schreiber (D)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Midtown Tulsa
Phone: 405-557-7359
Email Rep. Schreiber
Rep. Dean Davis

DISTRICT 98
Rep. Dean Davis (R)
Hometown: Broken Arrow
District area: Elm Place in east Broken Arrow, east to 248th East Avenue
Phone: 405-557-7362
Rep. Mark Tedford

DISTRICT 69
Rep. Mark Tedford (R)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Jenks, Bixby and Tulsa between those cities
Phone: 405-557-7331
Rep. Scott Fetgatter

DISTRICT 16
Rep. Scott Fetgatter (R)
Hometown: Okmulgee
District area: Okmulgee County and the southeastern tip of Tulsa County
Phone: 405-557-7373
Rep. Ross Ford

DISTRICT 76
Rep. Ross Ford (R)
Hometown: Broken Arrow
District area: West Broken Arrow
Phone: 405-557-7347
Rep. Regina Goodwin

DISTRICT 73
Rep. Regina Goodwin (D)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Downtown and northwest Tulsa
Phone: 405-557-7406
Rep. Kyle Hilbert

DISTRICT 29
Rep. Kyle Hilbert (R)
Hometown: Depew
District area: Westernmost Tulsa County, Creek County
Phone: 405-557-7353
Rep. Mark Lawson

DISTRICT 30
Rep. Mark Lawson (R)
Hometown: Sapulpa
District area: Sapulpa, Mounds, southwest Tulsa County
Phone: 405- 557-7414
Rep. T.J. Marti

DISTRICT 75
Rep. T.J. Marti (R)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: East Tulsa
Phone: 405-557-7356
Rep. Stan May

DISTRICT 80
Rep. Stan May (R)
Hometown: Broken Arrow
District area: Southeast Tulsa County; small section of southwest Wagoner County
Phone: 405-557-7338
Rep. Monroe Nichols

DISTRICT 72
Rep. Monroe Nichols (D)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Southeast corner of Inner Dispersal Loop to Owasso; also includes Turley and Sperry
Phone: 405-557-7391
Rep. Clay Staires

DISTRICT 66
Rep. Clay Staires (R)
Hometown: Skiatook
District area: Sand Springs, west Tulsa between Arkansas River and Osage County line and Riverview
Phone: 405-557-7390
Rep. Terry O’Donnell

DISTRICT 23
Rep. Terry O’Donnell (R)
Hometown: Catoosa
District area: Catoosa, east Tulsa
Phone: 405-557-7379
Rep. Melissa Provenzano

DISTRICT 79
Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: East and southeast Tulsa
Phone: 405-557-7330
Rep. Lonnie Sims

DISTRICT 68
Rep. Lonnie Sims (R)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: West Tulsa County from the bend of Arkansas River down to Glenpool
Phone: 405-557-7340
Rep. John Kane

DISTRICT 11
Rep. John Kane (R)
Hometown: Bartlesville
District area: Bartlesville, north Tulsa County including Collinsville
Phone: 405-557-7358
Rep. Mark Vancuren

DISTRICT 74
Rep. Mark Vancuren (R)
Hometown: Owasso
District area: Suburban Owasso
Phone: 405-557-7377
Rep. John Waldron

DISTRICT 77
Rep. John Waldron (D)
Hometown: Tulsa
District area: Northeast Tulsa
Phone: 405-557-7410
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