Tulsans Call For Resignation Of OU Regent After Controversial Comments

Tulsans gathered outside the OU Tulsa campus to call for Regent Kirk Humphreys to resign.

Critics claim comments he made on a television show compare homosexuality to pedophilia.

The protest in Tulsa was held Tuesday afternoon for people who couldn’t make a rally in Oklahoma City.

12/12/2017 Related Story: Tulsa Rally To Push For OU Regent Kirk Humphreys' Resignation

Humphreys, a former Oklahoma City Mayor and current OU regent, appeared on a political talk show discussing recent sexual assault allegations, but it's what he said about homosexuality that's causing controversy.

"Is homosexuality right or wrong? It’s not relative. There’s a right and wrong, you just said it. So it’s either right or wrong. And if it’s okay then it’s okay for everybody. Quite frankly it’s okay for men to sleep with little boys if it’s okay,” Humphreys said.

The comments took social media by storm.

OU President David Boren released a statement saying Humphreys was speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the university.

OU's student president, J.D. Baker, also responded saying, "Regent Humphreys' comments fail to show the respect that every human being deserves. Furthermore, his comments do not align with the spirit of our student body."

The comments are also drawing criticism in Tulsa.

"This organization, more than half of our board are graduates of the University of Oklahoma," said Toby Jenkins with the Equality Center. "His statement has hurt so many Oklahoma families who have LGTBQ family members or they may even have LGBTQ students at the University."

Humphreys responded to the backlash saying, "I regret the comments on Flash Point regarding homosexuality were not clear...I apologize for my lack of clarity. For clarification, my moral stance about homosexuality is that it is against the teaching of scripture."

"If he wants to teach that, let him teach that in his Sunday school class. But when he is in the public sphere, and he is representing taxpayer efforts that are supposed to be representing all of us, that kind of statement is just inappropriate," Jenkins said.

Some argue Humphreys was just expressing his opinion and shouldn't be punished.