Gay media watchdog the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) on Sunday called for the resignation of Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern.

Kern, an outspoken opponent of gay rights, came under fire last week for derogatory comments against African Americans and women.

During a debate on the Oklahoma House floor on a GOP-backed proposed constitutional amendment that would eliminate Affirmative Action in state government, Kern, a Republican, told colleagues that minorities earn less than white people because they have less initiative.

“We have a high percentage of blacks in prison, and that's tragic, but are they in prison just because they are black or because they don't want to study as hard in school? I've taught school, and I saw a lot of people of color who didn't study hard because they said the government would take care of them.”

Kern added that women earn less than men because “they tend to spend more time at home with their families.” (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)

On Thursday, Kern offered a written apology.

“I want to humbly apologize for my statements last night about African Americans and women,” Kern said. “I believe that our government should not provide preference based on race or gender. I misspoke while trying to convey this point last night during debate.”

Anthony Douglas, the president of the Oklahoma chapter of the NAACP, was the first to ask for Kern's resignation: “You cannot commit racism and then offer an apology for the racist statement you make. The citizens of Oklahoma, the constituents, can no longer stand by and allow this type of action to happen.”

GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios also called on Kern to step down.

“Given her long and well-documented history of extreme bias towards minorities, this apology means nothing. Republicans and Democrats alike agree that the kind of blatant bigotry from an elected official like Sally Kern has no place in our public sphere. Sally Kern should resign immediately.”

Kern is best known for saying gay folks are the “biggest threat our nation has” at a 2008 gathering of Republicans. Last year, Brittany Novotny, a transgender woman, attempted to unseat Kern.