▼ Aug««« 1991 V 19
1
Freshm an
rep resentative
does w ell
All in all Gail Shibley's first session went well with help from
her colleagues
by Inga Sorensen
I
WE MAKE IT EASIER!
BBB
AUTOBODY
&
we should encourage these alliances whenever
possible....If my being a lesbian helped people in
deciding whether they wanted to be nice to me,
that’s great. I don’t know if that was the case,
but I do know there were some w onderful
women and men who were a big help to me.”
Though Shibley has worked hard not to be
perceived in a one dimensional fashion-that is,
solely as a lesbian-she did experience uncom
fortable situations distinctly because of her sex
ual orientation. “When I first got to Salem, I got
a few sideways glances," she says. “ People
sometimes nodded or pointed in my direction.
Even sitting and eating was an interesting expe
rience. People would pretend they were eating
and having another conversation, but their eyes
and body language told a different story. They
seemed to be realizing, “My God, she walks and
talks and eats. Maybe she’s just like us in a lot
of ways.”
This revelation may have even had an effect
on how her colleagues felt about gay and lesbian
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magine being a first-term legislator, a pro
gressive Democrat in a conservatively-led
chamber, and the state’s first openly les
bian lawmaker. Though the combination
could potentially spell disaster for any
aspiring public servant, Gail Shibley says she’s
enjoyed the challenges she’s faced while wearing
these distinctive hats during her first term in the
Oregon House of Representatives.
“I think I got a heck of a lot done considering
I’m a young woman, a Democrat from Portland,
and an out lesbian,” maintains Shibley, the Dis
trict 12 Democrat who was appointed to her seat
in the Republican-controlled House back in Janu
ary. With her appointment, Shibley became
Oregon’s first openly lesbian lawmaker, and she
joins a mere handful of openly gay legislators
nationwide. Reflecting upon her experiences
during the recently-ended legislative session,
Shibley speculates her party affiliation and poli
tics had more to do with what she did or did not
achieve. "I do think if I had been a lesbian from
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Gail Shibley flanked by her colleagues.
Roseburg, who was a conservative Republican,
my experience may have been different. But the
fact is, I ’m Gail Shibley. I happen to be a pro
gressive Democrat who has certain beliefs that
ran contrary to the beliefs of the House leader
ship. So it’s difficult to assess why I didn’t get
all that I wanted, be it my personality, values,
party affiliation, or the fact that I ’m an out les
bian.
“Nevertheless, I ’m pleased with what I was
able to get done. I batted around 50 percent on
my chief sponsor bills, and I got out substitute
bills on guardianship, alternative fuels, real prop
erty, and an important first step was made in
family medical leave for dependents. All in all,
it wasn’t bad. I ’ll take it.”
Shibley has been praised by both her col
leagues and political observers for her quick abil
ity to learn the intricate workings of the Legisla
ture. She is the first to admit, however, that guid
ance and support from such well-respected col
leagues as former Speaker Vera Katz and Rep.
Bev Stein, have helped make her journey through
the legislature maze much easier.
“I think that those of us in the gay and lesbian
community should remember that we are not
alone,” says Shibley. “Whether people are gay
or straight, it’s really their values and priorities
that determine whether they’re comrades. I think
civil rights. For the first time in its 18 year his
tory, a gay rights measure made it through one
house of the Legislature.
While there was no such luck in the House, it
did gain the Senate’s stamp of approval. “Maybe
my presence did make a difference. I ’m not
sure,” says Shibley. "But I do know that in the
Senate our side picked up some votes that hadn’t
been ours in the past. I did have conversations
with a couple of those individuals, though not
specifically about Senate Bill 708. But maybe
people realize that we’re not much different than
them. This knowledge, I believe, can make it
harder to discriminate against others.”
While the legislative session has just recently
come to a close, Shibley isn’t taking much time
out to relax and savor the experience. She’s al
ready turned her sights to the 1992 elections.
She and her supporters arc already strategizing
for her upcoming campaign. “I represent about
47,000 Oregonians,” she says. “There are a lot
of different people who depend on me to make
decisions for them. I care about all of them, and
I’ve worked as hard and as smart as I know how.
I’m hoping now they’ll be able to show me their
support....The only thing I believe can defeat us
is apathy.”
Anyone interested in volunteering to help the
Shibley campaign should contact 245-0447.
O »
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