Anti-gay Pastor Argues First Amendment Right to Solicit Gay Sex

[Ian David]

Anti-gay pastor resigns posts after arrest
Southern Baptist leader accused of soliciting male police officer

By DYANA BAGBY
Friday, January 20, 2006

An Oklahoma preacher who vehemently opposed gay rights stepped down from his congregation and the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention after being arrested this month for allegedly asking an undercover male police officer for oral sex.

Lonnie Latham, 60, served as senior pastor of South Tulsa Baptist Church until he left the post following his arrest. He is an outspoken critic of same-sex marriage who urged gays to turn away from their “sinful, destructive lifestyle.”

This week, Latham’s attorney, Mack Martin of Oklahoma City, told Southern Voice he doesn’t believe what Latham is accused of is actually a crime.

“It’s like saying you’re arrested for crossing the street — so what?” Martin said. “This is a major First Amendment issue.”

<snip>

But Oklahoma City District Attorney Wes Lane stands by the charge against Latham.

“The law in Oklahoma prohibits an individual from soliciting another to engage in what is considered a lewd act regardless of whether money is sought for or exchanged,” Lane said in a statement.

More:http://www.southernvoice.com/2006/1-20/news/national/natnews_preachers.cfm

[slackmaster]

1. Well, isn't that just, er...

Special?

:freak:

[CottonBear]

2. Me thinks he doth protest too much. What a fucking hypocrite. n/t

[Book Lover]

3. I ... I ...

I really don't know what to say. I feel like the definition of nonplussed.

[LeftCoast]

4. The cognitive dissonance must be causing this guy to have a brainquake

Does Not Compute!
Does Not Compute!

[NoAmericanTaliban]

5. Most homophobes are covering up their own 'homo' tendencies..

They hate & want to bash 'homos' to cover up their own attraction to men. The use of the first admenment excuse is like a person pleading for mercy because they are an orphan after murdering their parents.

Also, doesn't he have that charlie manson look about him in the photo?


edited to fix typo

[havocmom]

6. Does the man have a daughter? How would he feel about

someone posing the question to her? Would he still argue the stranger asking the question was just exercising free speech, just 'crossing the street'?

[mitchtv]

12. Bad taste, rude , obnoxious, yes

illegal? I don't see it. No money exchanged, or proposed? what was the cop doing there? Knowing what homophobic pricks cops can be, there is even money that the cop initiated the situation with a come on.I would demand a jury trial.

[jilln]

7. regardless of whether money is sought or exchanged?

So picking someone up in a bar for a one-night stand is illegal?

[dusmcj]

8. sodomy/sex laws - a continual source of humor in America.

The sex police are coming !!! No pun intended !!!

:headbang:

[ktowntennesseedem]

9. The First Amendment according to Lonnie Latham & Mack Martin:

Congress shall not mandate that anyone be an honest, respectable citizen, nor prevent anyone from the free exercise of their right to be hypocritical assholes.

[xchrom]

10. well then, i guess he's a good deal

more sympathetic to gay people?

no? he can rot.

[zbdent]

11. Maybe if he confessed to the real reason that he was trolling for gays

- he liked what was done to Matthew Shepard (sp?) and wanted some of that action . . .

[Occulus]

13. Per the law, then, all married people need to be arrested.

RIGHT NOW.

No, seriously- if the law prohibits even asking for sex, and doesn't make a marriage exception, there are definitely entire cities full of guilty parties.

Given the way breeders- and yes, here I AM using that word in a derogatory fashion, so fucking SUE me, people- have used archaic and obscure laws in the past to specifically target "all them queers", I think it's high time they learned what it's like to be subjected to the punishments of a law that many people knew nothing about for a change.

It never ever ceases to piss me off how the "right" people get to have it intentionally and openly ignored when they break the law.

[Ian David]

17. The law in Oklahoma DOES make an exception for married people

Of course, gay people can't get married in Oklahoma.

"Look, Mommy! That woman is sucking that man's weiner! That's lewd and obscene!"

"No, Tommy. It isn't. She's his wife."

"Oh, Jesus would approve then. I guess I'm not traumatized after all."

[NMMNG]

14. Ok then,

Oklahoma law defines lewdness as “any lascivious, lustful or licentious conduct; the giving or receiving of the body for indiscriminate sexual intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, masturbation, anal intercourse, or lascivious, lustful or licentious conduct with any person not his or her spouse; or any act in furtherance of such conduct or any appointment or engagement for prostitution.”


Then why aren't OK police camped outside of every singles bar, as well as arresting every person who has engaged in a one-night-stand? While they're at it, they might as well go into the high schools and arrest most of the teenagers, because who hasn't engaged in some form of petting (or more) at some point during their high school experience?

[moose65]

16. Damn!

Color me naive.... I can't believe there's actually a law that says this! Sheesh. I guess if I'd lived in Oklahoma I would have broken that law about a million times. Wouldn't it be deliciously ironic if this law was declared unconstitutional as a result of a lawsuit by dear Lonnie, the fundie preacher! LOL

[Ian David]

18. Playing Devil's Advocate for a moment in a half-hearted defense of the law

One person sitting on a park bench discreetly asking a receptive person for a rimjob should not be against the law. It has no significant on the community or "common good."

If every day a crowd of twenty people mill around a park bench offering sexual favors in a less discreet fashion, then at that point it can become a public nuisance and the government has the right to intervene.

It's like the difference between one person whispering in a theater and when a group of fifty people are whispering.

They do, after all, regulate street mimes and other performers, so why not people who solicit sex acts in public places?

In my opinion, just the way the law discriminates between married and non-married people makes it unconstitutional anyway and it needs to get tossed-out.

And the law has been applied has been to discriminate against gay people by singling them out from straight people

[NMMNG]

21. "And the law has been applied has been to discriminate against gay people"

My point exactly. The cops aren't hanging around hetero singles bars wating for randy men/women to proposition each other, they purposely target gay people. I'll bet this law has never been applied to heteros, even when they've been blatantly in violation of it. That's why this law needs to be put to rest.

[TaleWgnDg]

15. Yet, another Southern Baptist Convention hypocrite . . .

.
http://www.southernvoice.com/2006/1-20/news/national/latham,-lonnie_AP.jpg
Baptist preacher Lonnie Latham was arrested Jan. 3
for allegedly asking an undercover male Oklahoma City police officer for oral sex.
(Photo by AP)

"(Latham,) an Oklahoma preacher who vehemently opposed gay rights stepped down from his congregation and the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention after being arrested this month for allegedly asking an undercover male police officer for oral sex.

. . . snip . . .

"Latham had served as the Oklahoma representative on the (Southern Baptist Convention’s) executive committee since 2004. (Latham) also served as a board member and recording secretary for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma."
http://www.southernvoice.com/2006/1-20/news/national/natnews_preachers.cfm

.

[BR_Parkway]

19. Ok, drop the charge (I think it should be) and indict him on FRAUD

how many mega bucks did he raise preaching against us? Enough to lose his Mercedes that they confiscated.

Personally, I don't think asking someone for any type of consensual sex should be illegal (even if it did involve payment - why is that the gov't business) but I do think that these outed preachers should be tried in both criminal and civil courts for the willful fraud that they've been practising to cheat people out of their money.

[Brian_Expat]

20. Fraud? heh

Let the idiots who send them cash lose their money. If they're that stupid, they don't need to be "rescued."

[BR_Parkway]

22. Not a matter of rescuing them, simply punishing these pastors

who preach one thing for the cash flow, then practice something else entirely. I'd like to see them all exposed as frauds.

[triakis36]

23. Hate the law, not the law breaker...okay maybe hate the law breaker too

It's a ridiculous law that is being used solely to discriminate and oppress gay people. It should be ruled unconstitutional and cast from legislation. If per se, someone was disturbing the peace by propositioning anything with two legs for a blow job then a complaint can be filed for ..disturbing the peace. ie. just call the cops on 'em. But a specific law prohibiting it is redundant, and undercover police officers asking for sex sounds an awful lot like entrapment. Regardless of what Latham's personal opinions are (however vile they may be) here's a prime case of a violation of a person's constitutional rights. Hate to say it, but this is a perfect opportunity to team up with the Latham's supporters to strike down this law if they haven't completely written him off as "a sinner". It just goes to show the line separating us from them is oh so thin, that there really only just us.