should indeed be hailing the governor for his
executive order, since it applies to all state
employees. Of more importance, however, is
that an executive order from the governor
(regardless of who he or she may be) sends a
highly visible message throughout the state."
Wittwer argues that equal protections for
gays and lesbians lack OPEU support "at the
bargaining table” and that gays and lesbians
“ who have possible discrimination grievances
(should] exercise caution when seeking help
from a union steward or OPEU staff member."
Wittwer says, however, “ there are gay people
active in the University of Oregon OPEU Local
who are well equipped to work with such prob­
lems, and any gay state employee is welcome to
contact us."
Sandra E. Nemeth of Springfield also
responded to Montague’s letter. A former staff
member of OPEU, Nemeth wrote, “ While on
staff, I witnessed very little support for gay
rights. Organized opposition was quite strong to
he door opened, he got out, he walked
the
contract language safeguarding gay and les­
right
over
and
took
my
hand.
I’m
still
o w n
bian
workers.
shaking. It was like the second Messiah or
“ Speaking solely as a former staff member, I
something ”
feel that the many incidents of gay-baiting,
— Kimberly Spartin. on the receiving end of
homophobic remarks and intimidation by the
Mikhail Gorbachev’s spontaneous gladhanding
management of the union do not warrant the gay
at a busy downtown intersection in Washington,
Voices in the wilderness
and lesbian community’s support of its
D.C. Ronald Reagan waited for more than an
leadership.”
hour while Gorbachev honed a technique he
learned from his role model, Lenin. (New York
Obviously, Executive Order 87-20 is not a
he framers had an idea which is central to
panacea; it is, however, a giant step in the right
Times, Dec. II, 1987)
Western thought. It's central to our
direction. It is one campaign promise which
American tradition. It’scentral to the ideaof the
came through. Will union members be able to
t was a shocking sight at first — I couldn’t
rule of law. And that is that there is a zone of
use its impetus to make some real changes?
decide whether the image was more
liberty, a zone of protection, a line that'sdrawn
threatening as a homoerotic come-on or as an Wittwer also reminds us that we should
where the individual can çèll the Government
unrealizable heterosexual physical ideal that remember the efforts of the people who
beyond this line you cannot go."
women would now expect me and all men to
— Judge Anthony M Kennedy responding to
negotiated the final draft of Executive Order
Sen. Joseph Biden’s question on unenumerated
match.”
87-20. especially Kathy Bogan, Janice Wilson
— Frank Rich, reacting to a huge Times Square
rights guaranteed by the Fifth and 14th Amend­
and Stevie Remington of the Oregon ACLU
billboard featuring a hunk wearing white
ments and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitu­
Commission on Lesbian and Gay Rights, and
tion, in testimony before the Senate Judiciary
Calvin Klein undenx'ear. ( “The Gay Decades,’ ’
Keeston Lowery of the Right to Privacy PAC.
Committee hearings on Judge Kennedy's nomi­
Esquire, November 1987)
nation to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Progressive files for District 14
Judge Kennedy’s nomination is the Reagan
AIDS, the Bible and civil rights
everly Stein, a longtime friend of the gay
long footnote to a United States Civil
and lesbian community, has filed for
Rights Commission proposal to study
state representative for District 14. Stein’s
legal issues surrounding the AIDS epidemic
nominating petition contained more than four
cites various scriptural passages which
times
the
number of signatures required from
T A V S o /* \B T T h ^ C r A J £ l o ! U) H y
condemn
homosexuality.
Commissioner
registered Democrats. District 14, which covers
K Jo T G >6r Noo/g H A lit-' b o r ^ e
Robert
A.
Destro
said
that
the
attitudes
most of southeast Portland, has been represented
A t
G A K V
t - U t M * '/
reflected in the quotations were “ a real part" of
by Shirley Gold, who will be running for the
the debate over civil rights and AIDS.
Oregon Senate
The text of the proposal said that people
Stein has been active in politics for some
infected with the deadly virus suffer a "tre­
time; she has worked for former City Commis­
mendous stigma" because "those acts gener­
sioner Margaret Strachan and was co-chair of
ally responsible for transmitting the virus are
the Oregon Rainbow Coalition. Stein is a
often illegal and have traditionally been morally
grassroots activist who as a Legal Aid attorney
proscribed."
won a substantial rate reduction for public
Contrary to the First Amendment to the U.S.
utilities customers.
Constitution, which states. Congress shall
Stein, currently an attorney in private
make no law respecting an establishment of
practice, is running her first race for the
religion, religionists are making serious inroads
Legislature.
in and out of government. The footnote to the
Civil Rights Commission proposal is merely a
Liberals
drop in the pond, but it is one of the things you
emember Robert Bork?
are paying for with your tax dollars.
Those of us who contacted Sen. Mark
Hatfield during the hearings on Bork's nomina­
Both sides now
tion received a response which included the
text of a speech Sen. Hatfield made on the
controversy surrounding Governor
floor of the Senate on October 7,1987, announc­
Goldschmidt’s Executive Order 87-20
/ P EEL T K A H S P o KM EO .
ing his decision to support the nomination. In
and the Oregon Public Employees Union
(OPEU) is brewing in the pages of Lavender the letter Hatifield said " . . . it became apparent
that what we were witnessing was akin to the
Network down in Eugene In November. LN
popular election of a judge. The hearing process
published an opinion by Betsey Brown hailing
was becoming cloaked in the trappings of politi­
the governor, which elicited an outraged
cal
campaign machinery.”
response by Ann Montague of Corvallis.
But the clincher is in the text of the speech:
Montague says, in pan: " . . . in my mind, the
real heroes are the gay and lesbian OPEU
". . . The case against this man is flawed.
members who pressured their union to take a
I would say to my fellow liberals: We above all
stand and tight. And the heroes were the union
others have a solumn obligation to stand firm against
unfounded charges of extremism. We above every­
members, our bargaining team and the union
one
had better err on the side of tolerance lest we be
staff: from our executive director to the field
deemed intolerable ourselves."
staff who understood the importance of this
issue and fought for it.” Contending that the
If this sounds like a politician who owes his
executive order "appeared . . . to cover man­
longevity to the right, it’s no coincidence. I'll
agement." Montague concluded ". .. ‘hail the believe Sen. Hatfield is a liberal when he signs
governor’ sticks in my throat."
on as a sponsor of the Civil Rights Amendment
Kathy Wittwer of the OPEU Local 085 in
cm
Act which would prohibit discrimination on
281-7831
Eugene replied to Montague’s letter: " . . . we
LJJCXEY 1323 NE Broadway
288-7831
the basis of sexual orientation.
*
Administration s third attempt to fill the
vacancy created when former Associate Justice
Lewis Powell retired last summer. (United
States Senate. Dec. 14, 1987)
his country has a long and unfortunate
history of discrimination based on sexual
orientation."
— Judge Julia Carter Mack writing the
opinion in a 5-2 decision of the District of Col­
umbia Court of Appeals which ruled that the
D C. Human Rights Act requires Georgetown
University, the oldest Roman Catholic Uni­
versity in the United States, to provide the same
‘ ‘tangible benefits' ’ to lesbian and gay groups
as it grants to other student groups. The court
ruled that the District of Columbia has a ' 'com­
pelling state interest in the eradication of sexual
orientation discrimination.'' (Gay Community'
News, Dec. 6-12, 1987)
T
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