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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 29, 1987)
Republican chairman defends anti-gay stance By Scott Mahon IW Ihf Kmtrald I.ane County Republican (lentral Committee (lhair in.in I’loyd Beam, who anonymously distributed anti homosexual pamphlets at the University earlier this month, announced he opposes homosexuality as an of ficial party member at a committee meeting Tuesday night People attending the meeting both praised and criticized Beam for handing out pamphlets to passershy in the KMIJ courtyard. Supporters defended his rights to free speech as a private citizen, while those opposed said it is unethical and contrary to party bylaws for Beam to publicly voice a stand on the issue. "Kverything you do in the public reflects on the party." I Iniversity (lollege Republicans ( diairman Tim (lushing told Beam. Cushing said Beam, as committee chair, is forbid den by Oregon Republican Party bylaws to oppose the rights of homosexuals unless two-thirds of those pre sent and voting at .1 committee meeting endorse defeat ol House Bill 2:t2T». also known as the gay rights hill ‘ Those bylaws were created specifically to prevent something happening such as what happened on the l Iniversity of ()regon, where the press just slammed in to the Republican Party afterward," Cushing said Beam replied he did not distribute the literature as .1 speaker lor the Republican Party and thus did not violate a bylaw. "The law was only broken if 1 presented myself as the chairman or member of the Republican Party, which I did not do. If anybody here has any information to the contrary, bring it forth. Hut from now on that is a lie. And if you don't have the facts, keep your mouth shut." Heam told the audience. Hearn said he agreed with the letter of the bylaw. "I don't think we should go around as members of tin? Republican Party, in the name of the party, doing things of that nature. I agree with that bylaw." However, in a statement on behalf of his actions, Heam later told tin; audience. "1 would like to go on record as an official of this party saying I'm against homosexuality, at this point " Heam, accompanied by two other men. refused to identify themselves while distributing the pamphlets April H. Ant Jregon I )aily F.merald reporter on the scene obtained Hearn's identity from the Department of Motor Vehicles by tracing the license plate number on the vehicle in which he departed "I think you made a terrible mistake." precinct member dene Arvidson told Heam. "I don't think you should be going around talking and doing these things without giving your name. I saw you at the campus, and I know you. and I'm sure other people did I think you did a big disservice to the Republican Party." Another precinct member said it she can't yield her right to speak as an individual while maintaining the role of a party worker, she won't work at all The pamphlets, titled “The Clay Plague: Homosex uality and Disease.” containing statistics on “the truth about homosexuality and public health.” purportedly documented tin? sex habits of homosexuals and referred to correlations between homosexuals and AIDS. beam distributed the material with Republican precinct member |ohn Knglish, who said he was acting on behalf of Oregonians for the Rectitude of Life, a pro moral integrity organization. The other man who hand ed out pamphlets remains unidentified. Mike dross, a member of the committee's publicity staff, defended Beam's actions. “I think tin? reason that Floyd ran for the Republican Party leadership post in the first place was because he cared about his community. He cared about the future. 1 le cared about his children, eventual grand children, and so forth, and the world that they were go ing to grow up in." he said. After his campus appearance. Beam and Cross researched the validity of the information presented in the pamphlets at the University science library “We documented every single thing that is in this," Cross said “If you can find one thing in this pamphlet that was a lie. then point it out." Turn to Party, Page 10 Editor Continued from Page 1 i m p >t c t on the si u d e n t ( ommunitv "i would like tu cover tui tion.d issues with .1 local edge .tiid consult with the experts at the University about the issues,” Nelson said. Next year. Nelson plans to place more emphasis on student o r g a n i z a I i o u s a n d entertainment "This year, entertainment is lacking. Movie reviews are only one form of entertainment. Next year 1 hope to see more diverse coverage of all types of enter tainment and go beyond plays and movie reviews.” he said. Nelson also hopes he can ( reate a more amiahle relation ship between the Kmerald and the A SI fO "I will seek to end the strain ed relationship between the Kmerald and student govern ment. '' he said Many of the < onflicts that have (nine about in the past are Stanley Nelson <i result ot .1 la< k of oommunioa tion between the two. Nelson e\pl<lined This is partly due to t h e K in e r a I (I not full y understanding how the ASUO operates and part I\ due to the ASIK) not understanding the structure of the Kmerald. lie said In the area of sports coverage, Nelson said more features on sports personalities at the I hiiversity are needed I would like to see fewer previews and more features on some of the more outstanding athletes at the University," he said "There is more to sports than the results of the events and previews." As tar as Spectrum magazine is concerned. Nelson hopes for a "less rigid" struc ture. Spec trum ( ould focus more* on enter tainment. including stories on local music groups as well as an increase* in coverage of "night II me entertainment.*' he suggested. Nelson was one of two can didates who applied for the position. Flav-R-Pack ORANGE JUICE 12 oz frozen 68 ROUND STEAK Bartles & Jaymes *2.994 Pk O BANANAS *1 ripe 5 lbs /99° T' ' T ^ T Prices Good Through May 5. 1987 . your “mark" of real value! WE MAKE SAVING SIMPLE! REMEMBER YOU DON'T HUf TO MARK TOUR ORN PRICES ANYMORE' EUGENE EUGENE W*' Htty/g SPA Continued from Page 5 "It seems natural for them (the athletes) to vote for tin? foot ball coach's daughter," she ad ded. "i don't mean that critical ly. because I can respect her (brooks’) intelligence, but I c an’t respect the intelligence of tlitc voters who voted for her.” Sauerwein has a different theory why CSRL was vic torious over SPA in the Ex eeutive race. "The group was not as organized as in the past,” he said, citing small things like the quality and style of posters that were not up to past SPA standards. Next year will prove an in teresting time for both SPA and CSKI,. SPA will be keeping ac tive, holding weekly meetings and providing support for the I PC members, l.iebowitz said. CSKI, will be running the Ex ecutive office and trying to establish a solid record while in office, Sauerwein said An outsider might see tilt* relations next year between the Exe< utive and the I PC as a liable zone mm h like- the one that ex ists on the national level bet ween a Republican president and a Democratic Congress. l.iebowitz hopes there will not be a lot of conflict between the two branches of government and said an adversarial at mosphere between the two defeats everyone's purposes, which is to fund student groups equitably. Sauerwein agreed. "I don't see where there's go ing to bo that much conflict.” he said. "I don't see that many people (in the IPC) who are go ing to be let's screw up the Ex ecutive’ at the expense of pro grams.’’ He added he didn’t think SPA's ideas on funding differed all that much from (ISRL’s anyway. Wettern suggested relations next year would he dependent on tin; Executive’s actions rather than the IFC’s. The Executive can be really powerful when the same party has a majority in the I EC, Eiebowitz admitted. “An ad ministration can he great with ideas, hut if you don’t get the money, you don’t get it.” Both sides also are already looking ahead to the next election. “1 think we'll he meeting on a regular basis.’’ Mooney said. “We need to look for people who are prospective candidates and work with them. It’s in tense to run for the Executive," she said, adding there needs to he a smoother way to jump into the process. Eiebowitz believes students will he ready for SPA again next year. “Students will see the dif ference between activist and non-activist student govern ment,” slit; said, much as they did after the Julie Davis ad ministration during 1BH4-B5. Davis was not a strong activist president, and in the two elec tions since the Davis ad ministration, SPA has won, Eiebowitz said. SPA won in 1 WBf> with Eynn Pickney and in 1‘tHti with Steve Nelson. But Sauerwein and CSKE do not intend to make SPA's come back that easy. “If we have a non-activist year, we should be voted out of office.“ he said. “We won't have a non-activist year. • 31 Delicious Flavors • Special Sundaes • Cakes and Pies • Milk Shakes iDeliwry ,n dildblc) BASKIN-ROBBINS/W\ ICE CREAM STORE \iJV 1365 Villard (Near McDonald s) 484-1031
