LANE CO.
continued from page 1
In 1998 the state Supreme Court de
rided that same-sex couples could not
be denied the medical benefits given to
married couples under a section of the
state constitution forbidding laws that
give privileges to one group of people,
but not to all.
Multnomah County legal counsel
used the same section of the constitu
tion when it decided it was illegal to
deny gay couples marriage licenses.
Commissioners asked for a new
opinion prior to Tuesday's Multnomah
County announcement, County Com
missioner Peter Sorenson said.
Sorenson, who represents South
Eugene, said he expects the Oregon
Supreme Court to eventually rule on
the legality of same-sex marriages.
If the court decides that it is illegal
under the state constitution to deny
marriage licenses to gay couples, all
Oregon counties will be required to is
sue licenses for same-sex marriage.
Sorenson said Lane County officials
are also watching closely for Attorney
General Hardy Myers' decision on the
issue, which is expected soon, as well as
watching how other state jurisdictions
reart to the controversial move by Mult
nomah County officials.
"All of that influences and affects the
work of our Lane County legal counsel
in their advice," he said.
Sorenson added that if county com
missioners do decide to give marriage
licenses to same-sex couples, they
would tell the public beforehand.
"I think that we're trying to handle
this in an open and public fashion," he
said.
Multnomah County Commissioner
Diane Linn had the support of three of
the four other commissioners when
she announced the county would issue
marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Commissioners did not officially vote
on the subject, however, nor was pub
lic input considered.
Linn made her announcement af
ter receiving the opinion from Mult
nomah County legal counsel stating
that it is illegal to deny same-sex mar
riage licenses.
The city of Eugene has a Domestic
Partner Registry, instituted in Novem
ber 2002, which recognizes unmarried
couples of any sexual orientation who
sign the registry. Registration, however,
does not afford couples any legal rights.
"It's entirely symbolic," Ward 3 City
Councilor David Kelly said.
Sorenson said the Board of Commis
sioners has no specific plans to discuss
gay marriage at this time.
That fact did not preclude him from
expressing his own support of same-sex
marriage at the press conference he
called Wednesday afternoon.
"My feeling is that the Legislature
and the legal system ought to recognize
that discrimination is wrong, and I feel
very strongly that this is discrimina
tion," Sorenson said.
He added that he thought President
Bush's call for a constitutional amend
ment defining marriage as an institu
tion between a man and woman is "to
tally inappropriate"
"I think it's a bad idea to have a feder
al constitutional amendment dealing
with a topic that is historically well
within the role of the state" he said.
Lane County Commissioner Bill
Dwyer, who represents Springfield, said
he does not support same-sex marriage
in Lane County, but would uphold it if
the law required him to do so.
"1 think that consenting adults
should be able to enter into any con
tract that they want, but whether they
define it as marriage or not depends on
the law, "he said.
Contact the city/state politics reporter
at nikacaiison@dailyemerald.com.
REACTIONS
continued from page 1
math and Italian, said she thinks Multnomah
County's decision is a step in the right direc
tion and will help promote diversity and tol
erance She said the decision will draw same
sex couples to Multnomah County, which
will help increase diversity.
She was surprised the decision came in
Oregon, however.
"Oregon hasn't really seemed like one of
the most tolerant places," Esterbeig said. "The
Northwest always seems kind of slow. That's
cool that we're on the ball with something."
Junior Aaron Foresman, who is studying
marketing, was less eager to call the deci
sion a victory. Foresman, a non-denomina
tional Christian, said, "By allowing gay
marriage you change the makeup of what
marriage is meant to be."
He said allowing same-sex marriages is
"messing with something pretty sacred." He's
not opposed to gay marriage, however, if it's
done in the name of love, rather than for the
pursuit of financial benefits, he said.
Foresman said he was not particularly
surprised it happened in Oregon, adding
that he is almost surprised it didn't hap
pen in Lane County.
Sophomore business student Ruby Chen
said she supports same-sex marriage.
"If we didn't allow them to many, it would
mean we didn't see them equally," she said.
Chen said opponents of same-sex mar
riages are against it because married same-sex
partners would demand more rights that gar
ner considerable opposition, like the right to
adopt children.
Sophomore economics major Joe Croson
said he does not understand the opponents'
arguments.
"Personally, I think it's ridiculous that so
many people are against (same-sex mar
riage), " Croson said. "We're a country of free
dom, yet we deny such a basic freedom."
Croson said he's heard the argument that
same-sex marriage conflicts with Christian
ity, but he does not agree that should mean
repressing it in the United States.
"Our nation is not founded on Chris
tianity, " he said. "It doesn't seem right to
me to use religion as a tool to suppress a
sexual minority."
But freshman business major Sweet Paul
said she isn't comfortable with same-sex mar
riages occurring. God had a purpose in creat
ing Adam and Eve and that's because he
wanted men and women to join, not people
of the same gender, she said.
"That's not the way God made things,"
Paul said.
Contact the people/culture/faith reporter
at jaredpaben@daiiyemerald.com.
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Erik R. Bishoff Photographer
An individual identifying himself only as Josh holds a sign in front of Multnomah County headquarters in Portland on
Wednesday afternoon to protest the county’s decision to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
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