just out T fsbruary 1992 ▼ 9
OCA submits
signatures
Som etfatÿ 'fo ttìi Sfatte
Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon believes Portlanders
are more tolerant than the OCA
'p o ’ie v e n
by Inga Sorensen
escribing it as a “heroic” feat, the
conservative Oregon Citizens Alii
ance submitted 22,875 signatures for
its initiative designed to overturn
Portland’s civil rights ordinance
banning discrimination based on sexlial orienta
tion. In order to get the measure on the May 19
primary ballot, the group needs 17,542 valid
signatures. Many political observers believe the
initiative will be on the ballot. City and Mult
nomah County officials have 30 days to count and
verify the signatures.
“This is one of the most heroic feats in petition
gathering,” OCA Executive Director Lon Mabon
said Jan. 21, the group’s submission deadline, as
he and OCA Multnomah County Director Bill
Casey turned in their petitions. Both applauded
their volunteer’s efforts to collect signatures. They
maintain those efforts were severely hampered by
violent attacks from “homosexuals and their sup
porters.” A series of legal challenges from busi
nesses not wanting the group gathering signatures
on their property was another setback. “The
homosexuals and their allies tried to sabotage our
efforts to collect signatures,” Casey accused. “Our
volunteers were spit upon, physically assaulted,
threatened and verbally abused. In numerous
instances, filled petition froms and voter registra
tion cards were stolen and/or destroyed.”
D
Bob Ralphs dispatches Bigot Busters, between
chores, from his ranch near Sherwood.
lesbian and gay rights supporters deny that
charge. Bob Ralphs, one of those who organized
and dispatched ‘"iigot busting” squads to OCA
signature-gathering locations says, “We would
never think of becoming disruptive. Our purpose
was to hand out literature and talk to the public on
a one-to-one basis. We were there to educate
them about our position against bigotry and ha
tred,” Ralphs continues. “If anybody was violent,
it was the OCA petitioners. We know of instances
where our people were shoved and pushed by
them for no apparent reason.”
Not only do both camps contend they are
victims of the other’s violence, they’re also
charging one another with possible election law
violations. Election officials, meanwhile, say
they are investigating some of the complaints but
don’t know if they’ll amount to anything.
•
STOP
S fO l
S^OTKV ] X M A
>T0P C itizen
Participants at the No On Hate rally Jan. 21,
where over 200 people gathered at Terry
Schrunk Plaza to focus attention on the
upcoming campaign.
The OCA is seeking to overturn a civil rights
ordinance unanimously approved Oct. 3 by the
Portland City Council. That measure includes
banning discrimination based on sexual orienta
tion in housing, employment, and public accom
modations. Human rights supporters have been
working vigorously to counter the OCA’s vitri
olic attacks on the lesbian and gay community.
Many say while they’re disappointed by the OCA’s
apparent success in collecting enough signatures,
they are not surprised.
“We would have been surprised if the OCA
did not collect enough signatures,” explains Sherry
Oeser, chair of Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon,
the statewide effort to defeat the OCA’s anti-gay
initiatives. “Portland has literally hundreds of
thousands of residents. The OCA only needed to
collect a little over 17,000 valid signatures, and
they’ve proven their ability to collect signatures
in the past. We would have been incredibly
surprised if they were not able to gather this
relatively insignificant number.”
She adds, “Our job now is to convince citizens
not to vote for the initiative at the ballot box.”
That work, she says, is already underway. In fact,
the morning after the OCA submitted its signa
tures, the Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon
officially kicked off its campaign. Representa
tives from the broad-based coalition held a news
conference at Portland'sTrinity Episcopal Church.
The coalition is comprised of labor, religious,
business and community groups.
“Portlanders are more tolerant and more fair
than this OCA initiative. This type of measure is
not the Portland we know,” said campaign
spokeswoman Ellen Lowe. She is also the asso
ciate director of Ecumenical Ministries of Or
egon, an organization representing more than
2000 religious denominations and congregations
throughout the state. EMO, Oregon’s Catholic
Conference, andTemple Neveh Shalom are among
the religious organizations that have publicly
denounced the OCA’s efforts and vowed to work
to defeat them.
“I think the most important thing we can do is
get to know one another,” Lowe told the supjpxrtive
crowd. “We think education is vital. We’ll be
talking to the pxiblic about the dangers regarding
the OCA’s initiatives. We’ll put out fact sheets.
We're prepared to go out and raise funds for a
media advertising campaign if we need to.”
When asked whether EMO would urge pastors
to preach against the measure from their pxilpits,
she replied, “I think pastors have already started
sending out the message that bigotry and intol
erance arenotright, and that peaceful co-existence
is. Whether it be the temple or the church, the call
to end such bigotry is being sent out.”
Those interested in sending donations or get
ting involved with the Campaign for a Hate Free
Oregon can call (503) 245-5351.
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