Gay Rights Advocate Keith Smith Dead at 51
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A well-known advocate for gay rights in Oklahoma has died.
Close friends of Keith Smith say the Alva native passed away just before midnight last night at Integris Hospital in Oklahoma City. He was 51.
Longtime state Senator Bernest Cain said Smith was known around the Capitol as a tireless advocate who pushed to involve more people in the political process.
A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Smith was the first openly gay delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma. He was a member of the National Board of Stonewall Democrats and a former American Cvil Liberties Union Oklahoma and national board member.
As president of the lobbying firm The Smith Group, his client’s included the A-C-L-U, Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, Oklahoma Policy Consortium for People with Disabilities and the National Association of Social Workers.
