× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

OKLAHOMA CITY — An email telling teenage pages that “there are cross-dressers in the building” caused a noon-time furor in the Capitol on Monday.

The email, ostensibly from a House staffer who oversees the page program, was apparently prompted by the visit of about 70 LGBTQ students from the Tulsa area who were lobbying mostly on behalf of HIV awareness and education funding and support. Their presence prompted someone at the Capitol to arrange for pages to use private staff and member restrooms.

A mass email with the electronic signature of Karen Kipgen, supervisor of the page program, was sent to offices within the Capitol saying “As per the Speaker’s office, Pages are being allowed access to the ladies restroom across from 401, for today. Again, there are cross-dressers in the building.”

Speaker Charles McCall’s office quickly disavowed the message, saying it was not approved by McCall nor any of his immediate staff.

“Never have I felt so unsupported,” said Pickles Lee, 18, a senior at Owasso High School. “This email sort of escalated everything.”

Oklahomans for Equality Director Toby Jenkins, whose organization sponsored the group, said the visit had been uneventful to that point, though legislators had been hard for the group to find.