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DA proposes protections for gays, lesbians
Multnomah County District Attorney Michael D . Schrunk’s bill
would expand an existing law banning intimidation.
majority of citizens, believe it is abnormal.”
Frink maintained that the bill, introduced by
the House Judiciary Committee, is not a matter
eople who threaten or physically harass
of
civil rights, but of sanctioning criminals.
gays and lesbians would become subject to
criminal prosecution under a bill introduced in “ What we’re talking about is trying to deal
with people who are committing criminal acts.
the Oregon House of Representatives January
W e’re not creating special rights for anybody. I
11. The bill would expand a 1981 law banning
think it’s very disappointing that anyone would
intimidation against people based on their race,
be opposed to this,” said Frink.
color, religion, or national origin.
The incidence of violence and verbal abuse
The measure, proposed on behalf of Mult­
against gays and lesbians drew attention on the
nomah County District Attorney Michael D.
Schrunk’s office and backed by Gov. Neil
national level last year. In May. the U S House
Goldschmidt, drew opposition from Oregon
of Representatives passed a bill requiring the
Citizens’ Alliance (OCA) executive director
U S Justice Department to collect statistics on
Lon Mabon, who argued it would grant just the
“ hate crim es” committed against gays and les­
kind o f “ special protections” for gays and
bians, as well as racial and other minorities. A
lesbians that Oregon voters rejected when they
similar measure passed the Senate Judiciary
passed Measure 8.
Committee but never made it to the Senate
Norm Frink, chief deputy district attorney in
floor.
Schrunk’s office, said he proposed the addition
Still, local and regional surveys leave no
of “ sexual orientation” to the existing intimi­
doubt that physical and verbal harassment of
dation law after reading an Oregonian editorial I gays and lesbians is real. In a recent Just Out
about racist Skinheads, who preach a philosophy
survey o f 200 respondents. 66 percent said they
o f hate against Jews, gays and lesbians. Blacks
had experienced verbal abuse based on their
and other racial minorities. The bill is an effort
sexual orientation; 15 percent said they had
experienced physical abuse.
“ tonipthistypeofconductinthebud,” he said.
“ I can’t represent to you that there’s a specific 1
Cathy Siemens, who was recently appointed
crisis this is responding to,” Frink said. “ But
to the Metropolitan Human Relations Commis­
it's a problem that needs to be addressed; it’s a
sion, said the measure, if passed, would be a
problem that people need to be sensitive to.”
decisive step in the right direction. She added
The 1981 law defines tampering with some­
that measures such as higher penalties for
one’s property, threatening physical injury or
crimes of intimidation and detailed gathering of
physically harassing them on the basis of race, i statistics on such incidents also are needed to
color, religion or national origin as a class-A
fight hate crimes effectively. *
misdemeanor. If two or more persons act to­
“ As many reports have shown, lesbians and
gether to intimidate an individual the crime
gays are a high-risk group in terms of the
becomes a class-C felony.
number of cases of violence,’ ’ said John Baker,
Mabon said the bill seemed to contradict the
head of the Right-to-Privacy Political Action
message voters delivered in November, when , Committee. “ This is what the legislation will be
they repealed Goldschmidt’s executive order
aimed at correcting. Hopefully, legislators have
banning discrimination in state hiring and
learned in the past couple years that there is a lot
services based on sexual orientation.
of discrimination and a lot of violence out there
“ If this is a political attempt to get sexual
against lesbians and gays.” Baker said
orientation into an existing civil rights category,
opposition to the measure from the OCA was a
then we oppose it,” he said. “ I don’t look at
predictable move. “ If they had their way, they
sexual orientation as being something that
would like to see us not protected by laws and
regulations at all.”
•
deserves special protection when I, and a
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