OCA
continued from page 1
could lose state funding.
Supporters of the initiative said
homosexuality and bisexuality
are immoral lifestyles and should
n’t be condoned by schools. Op
ponents said the initiative could
create threatening and intolerant
school environments and could
foster views that don’t respect the
diversity of human civilization.
Both sides said the initiative will
become a contentious and hotly
debated issue.
OCA founder and chairman
Lon Mabon said the initiative is
part of the OCA’s long-term effort
to block state acceptance of homo
sexuality and bisexuality through
civil rights legislation, same-sex
marriage recognition or public
school programs.
The OCA’s previous major leg
islative efforts, 1992’s Measure 9
and 1994’s Measure 13, proposed
prohibiting anti-discrimination
protection for non-heterosexual
people in the workplace. Both
measures were voted down 56-42
and 52-48, respectively. Since
then, the OCA’s support has
waned and membership has
dropped by more than half.
Though the OCA has failed the
past two election cycles to place
an initiative on the ballot, Mabon
said he’s confident this year’s ini
tiative will reach voters in No
vember.
“We believe that homosexuali
ty is not a good sexual expression
and is morally wrong,” he said.
“We believe the government
shouldn’t be in the business of
promoting something that’s
wrong.”
Mabon said that school coun
selors should direct students to
community support organiza
tions.
At a community forum in the
Amazon Community Center
Tuesday night, Nerissa Ediza,
state field director of Basic Rights
Oregon, expressed the concern,
shared by most opponents of the
initiative, that criticism of homo
sexuality and bisexuality would
still be allowed and maybe even
encouraged in schools if the ini
tiative passes.
“One of the things you have to
pay attention to with the OCA is
what they don’t say,” she said.
Mabon said that if the initiative
passes, it wouldn’t necessarily
lead to criticism of homosexuali
ty and bisexuality in schools.
Even if the initiative doesn’t
cause overt criticism, opponents
said that eliminating support or
ganizations from schools could
isolate non-heterosexual students
or students questioning their sex
ual orientation.
April Kane, Lane Community
College Affirmative Action Ana
lyst, said that the LCC organiza
tion for non-heterosexual stu
dents, which could be heavily
restrained if the initiative passes,
offers services and support to stu
dents who are afraid to seek help
at home.
“I would worry about gay teen
suicide,” she said.
Patrick Fraleigh, co-chair of
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Educa
tion Network of Emerald Valley,
said the initiative is “divisive and
going backward from what we
should be trying to accomplish —
an education system that doesn’t
discriminate.”
“It’s going to be an indicator of
whether or not the Oregon citi
zenry wants to support this flavor
of legislation or absolutely oppose
it,” Fraleigh said.
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