MEASURE 9
Continued from Page 8
The debate over Measure 9 grows more bitter
by the day Vandals have broken into No on 9 of
fices, while the symbol thut Hitler's Nazis forced
homosexuals to wear, pink triangles, have been
painted on or near the homos of Measure 9 sup
porters.
A Portland hospital's chaplain lost his job after
speuking out in favor of the measure. Initiative
opponents, meanwhile, blame the climate created
by Measure 9 for an increase in gay-bashing inci
dents, Including a homosexual man and woman
killed Sept. 26 in a fire started by a Molotov cock
tail in Salem.
As alurmist rhetoric flows from both tamps, Or
egonians can pick their paranoia:
• America's social fabric is being ripped apart
by immoral sodomites who seek, and all too often
got, official blessing for their corrupt lifestyle so
they can more easily recruit teen-agers into homo
sexuality.
Or:
• A powerful cadre of far-right, hate-mongoring
fundamentalists is trying to turn religious dogma
into public policy, reducing an entire class of
poople to second-class citizens.
If neither extreme quite matches reality, that
may be just too bad. There’s no room for compro
mise — only yes or no In tho voting booth.
"Our culture perhaps needs to come to terms
with sexuality," said Unlvorsity sociologist Jack
Whalen. "But not in this way. It’s very divisivo
This Is not the kind of debate that people can
benefit from."
Public officials, embarrassed by tho erosion of
Oregon's reputation as a progressive, tolornnt
state, have lined up to denounce Measure 9. But
OCA’s message appears to have struck a nerve,
especially among conservative voters outside Ore
gon's urban centers
The Citizens Alliance scored its first victory In
lflflfl, forcing a statewide vote In which Oregoni
ans repealed an executive order by thon-C.ov. Neil
Goldschmidt that protected homosexuals from
discrimination in state government
In May, voters in Springfield, a blue-collar lim
ber town of 45,000, approved an OCA-sponsorod
city charter amendment similar to Measure 9.
To put Measure 9 on tho statewide ballot, the
Citizens Alliance gathered nearly 137,000 signu
You dont see farm animals
carrying on like that’
— Robert Clemens Sr,
Measure 9 supporter
tures. far more than the 89,000 required
"While most people don't want the government
In their taxi room lolling them how to have sex.
they also feel uneasy with the Issue of homosexu
ality." Whalen said. "They're not homophobic,
but they're not gay. and they know nobody who
is, or very few people They think of it as strange
or unusual behavior."
The Citizens Alliance capitalizes on that uneas
iness.
In one brochure, the OCA tells the fictional tale
of Chuckle and Hilly. 12-year-old friends, ono
gay. one confused. Chuckle repeatedly pressures
fllily to try "It" with him.
"But don't you think it's wrong. Chuckle?" Hil
ly uskz».
"How can it bo wrong?" Chuckio replies.
"Look. Thu police chlof say* it’* OK Our teacher*
say it’s OK. The newspaper says It’* OK. Evon the
governor says It's OK.”
Billy roluctantly agroes, and the two go off to
gether into the woods near their school
Such tactiias might not win over the largely lib
eral populace of Portland or college towns like
Eugene or Corvallis. But beyond the skyscrapers
and leafy campuses, there is another Oregon, a ru
ral. conservative place peopled by logger* and
mlllworkor*. rancher* and farmers
Such a place Is Scappoose, pop. 3.850. just 30
miles northwest of Portland but In many ways a
universe away.
Logging trucks rumble along the main street
past Ichabod’s Restaurant, which ha* a signboard
out front tolling where to buy deer tags for hunt
ing season
"! don't care what people say. I think homosex
uality is sick.” said barber Robert Clemons Sr .
50 Ho waved a razor to help make his |>olnt, and
his customer, a sawmill worker, nodded
"You don't see farm animals carrying on like
that." said Clemens, who support# Measure 9
"To me it's not a natural act The Bible doesn't
condone it, and if the Good Lord doesn't condone
it. 1 don't condone it."
Artist sues college for
sculpture ‘alteration’
ASHLAND (AP) - An art
ist is demanding that his
$14,000 artwork be restored
to its original place a! South
ern Oregon State College af
ter the huge steel sculpture
was moved to make walking
safer for students.
"The pleco was designed
for a very specific location,"
said Creswell sculptor Bill
Horsey.
"It was designed to be
viewed from 360 degrees and
from sevoral long points of
viow. They have put It up
against the wall where it
can't be soon. That killed the
piece."
Horsey installed the sculp
ture, tilled "Edged Wind," in
December. Ho found out ear
ly last month that it had boon
moved.
His lawyer, Leonard
DuBoff of Portland, said the
work Is protected by the fed
eral Visual Artists Rights Act,
which look effect In 1991. Ho
adds that the college could be
lioblo for financial damages if
it doesn't move the sculpture
back.
"The piece was ultered,”
sold DuBoff, a nationally rec
ogni/.od expert on art law.
"Alteration does interfere
with the integrity of the work
ami injures tho artist's ropu
tntion."
Ron Bolstad. dean of ad
ministration. said SOSC "is
caught in tho middle between
public safety concerns and
tho rights of tho artist." Col
loge officials dot:lined to
comment further.
The sculpturo apparently
was considered a possible
hazard to pedestrians and bi
cyclists. oven though blko
riding is forbidden in tbo pla
za.
"What they are telling me
is they had people walking
into it," said Carol Baumann,
public art manager for tho
Oregon Arts Commission,
which wus Involved In se
lecting Harsoy's sculpture.
"I’m saying this with a
straight face," Baumann add
ed. "You can see this thing
from two blocks away."
Baumann suggested that
college officials are using
safety as an excuse to move
tho sculpturo because stu
dents don't like It.
"It’s a piece of rust," said
LaVorne Walcntlne, editor of
tho Siskiyou, the campus
newspaper "It’s used ss a
bike rack.”
DuBoff said he expects to
settle the case out of court.
RIGHT ON TARGET!
4
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