The Oklahoma Freedom Caucus (OKFC) challenge the decision to host and promote "National Coming Out Day" at Tinker Air Force Base.

Sen. Shane Jett, chair of the OKFC and a U.S. Navy veteran, expressed the criticism shared by thousands of military families.

"Military bases have significant budgets to cultivate positive relationships in their communities," Jett said. "It’s incomprehensible that Tinker Air Force Base would openly promote a prurient lifestyle that would obviously affront the tenets of faith of over 75% of Oklahoma’s professing Christian population, as well those practicing Jewish and Muslim faiths. It is vulgar, prurient, inappropriate and unbecoming of our military facilities."

Rep. Jim Olsen, House vice chair of the OKFC, echoed these concerns, adding, "The military exists to protect our freedoms, not to serve as a platform for sexual social experimentation. Events like these distract from their mission and undermine the moral fabric that holds our armed forces together. We will continue to demand that Tinker focuses on what matters most: national defense and the protection of American values."

Sen. Dusty Deevers, Senate vice chair of the OKFC, emphasized the potential dangers of such events, saying, “We urge Oklahomans to make their voices heard. For too long, polite and long-suffering Oklahomans have endured intentional disrespect to their moral sensibilities, defiance of tenets of their faith in direct offense of morality and decency. This is not the way forward.”

The OKFC encouraged citizens to demand accountability from Tinker Air Force Base and their elected representatives.

"Silence has been interpreted as the consent of hedonistic sexual gratification as a so-called 'alternative lifestyle,'" Jett said. "We do not give our consent. We do not approve. We call appropriate shame upon those who promote this nonsense in the name of ‘diversity, equity and inclusion,’ which is intended to divide, distract and destroy the morale of this country and devastate the military readiness of our armed forces."

The members said the public can get involved by requesting their state and federal legislators require military facilities to focus on military readiness, provide a wholesome environment for the base community, and discontinue the promotion of sexual and politically-charged events that affront and disrespect Oklahoma values. The members encouraged the public to directly contact Tinker Air Force Base to express their opposition at 405-739-2025.