1092 V 13
Two more groups
cry foul at OCA
In recent newsletters and meetings, two more
groups have announced their stance against the
OCA: W omen’s International League for Peace
and Freedom and New Jewish Agenda. Both
groups have held public forums on the issue.
NJA’s newsletter comments on their meeting’s
resounding theme that “OCA ’s hateful attacks on
gays are not simply a gay predicament, they are a
fascist manifestation which ultimately threatens
Jews, blacks and anyone who stands in the way of
the Religious Right’s long-range strategy of turn
ing America into a unitary Christian state.”
WILPF’s Portland branch sponsored an open
meeting with Suzanne Pharr to discuss her article
“The Christian Right: A Threat to Democracy,"
in which Pharr outlines that movement’s growth
in the last two decades, including the formation of
the OCA.
Rally tu oppose violence
No on Hate and the Lesbian Community Project
will be co-sponsoring a rally Tuesday, Aug. 25,
5:45 pm to 7 pm at Terry Schrunk Plaza (South
west 3rd Avenue and Madison Street). Featured
speakers will be Kevin Berrill and Donna Red
Wing. The rally is called “From Harassment to
Homicide: Bias Motivated Violence.”
Kevin Berrill is a national anti-violence project
expert, most recently working as the head of the
Policy Institute for the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force based in Washington, D.C. Berrill is
now on his own doing work as a grassroots
organizer and trainer. He has come to Oregon to
join in the fight against the OCA ballot measure.
Donna Red Wing is the executive director of
LCP and has been fighting the OCA at every turn.
The OCA continues to
dictate to Springfield
In a 4-2 vote, members of the Springfield City
Council voted to assist with the annual confer
ence of the Northwest Coalition against Mali
cious Harassment, to be held Oct. 23-25 at the
University of Oregon. Seminars at the conference
include “Gay and Lesbian Youth in Schools,” and
“Gay and Lesbian Awareness.”
Anti-gay leader Loretta Neet said the council
action would violate the charter amendment. City
attorney Joe Leahy told officials that because the
conference focuses on harassment and not gay
• rights, no violation is apparent.
The OCA has threatened to take action in
response to the city council’s move. By threaten
ing an action against a city’s attempts to build a
Statewide organizations mobilized to fight the OCA
Coos Bay Citizens for Equal Rights, Harry
Viar, 954 Commercial, Coos Bay, OR 97420
No on Hate, Portland Metro, Sharon Hill,
PO Box 6611, Portland, OR 97229,222-9885
No on Hate, Lane County, Alan Brown, 135
N Seneca, Eugene, OR 97402, 688-1601
Gorge Alliance for Human Dignity, Spike
Livermore, PO Box 321, Hood River, OR 97031
No on 9, Peggy Norman, PO Box 3343, Port
land, OR 97208, 232-4501
Grants Pass Group, PO Box 182, Grants
Pass, OR 97527
People for Human Dignity, PO Box 2995, La
Grande, OR 97850
Columbia County Citizens for Human Dig
nity, Marcy Westerling, PO Box 262, St. Helens,
OR 97051
coalition around malicious harassment, the OCA
continues to reveal itself as a perpetrator of social
violence.
Article on crossdressing
stirs up OCA
An article, “Crossdressing and the Law,” that
appeared in the June issue of Just Out was appar
ently noticed by members of the OCA.
The article in question discussed a dinner
meeting of the Northwest Gender Alliance, at
which Tom Potter addressed the group.
After publication of the article, the OCA made
a press release calling for Chief Potter’s resigna
tion “for supporting the use of women’s restrooms
by male transvestites.” OCA officials take of
fense that Potter even accepted the engagement.
As with their disapproval of Potter’s appearances
at Lesbian and Gay Pride events, the OCA claims
that Potter is a poor role model for children and
has “degraded his office.”
Copies of the Just Out article were copied onto
a No Special Rights anti-gay propaganda sheet,
and distributed at OCA petition locations. Those
pamphlets also included a segment of the flyer
from the April 1992 conference, “Gay, Lesbian
and Bisexual Youth: A New Visibility” and a
county advertisement for its Youth Services Com
mission, which reads, “Gay men and lesbians are
welcome!” NSR-PAC claimed that all of these
were examples of “special rights for gays and
lesbians.”
Republicans are too
progressive for the OCA
The Oregon Citizens Alliance is gathering
signatures once again, this time to establish its
own political party. Despite bargaining efforts by
C o r v a llis H um an R igh ts C oalition ,
Annabelle Jaramillo, PO Box 1828, Corvallis,
OR 97339,757-1532
Southern Oregon Human Rights Coalition/
Jackson County, PO Box 3176, Ashland, OR
97520
Citizens for Human Dignity-Blue Moun
tain Region, PO Box 152, Pendleton, OR 97801
Human Rights Coalition, Bob Lobe, 555
Bond St.. Astoria, OR 97103,325-8438
Lambda Eastern Oregon Association, PO
Box 382, Baker City, OR 97814
O U TPA C .PO B ox 5263, Eugene, OR 97405,
687-9226
Coalition for Human Dignity, Box 40344,
Portland, OR 97240,232-5070. ’
Republican officials such as Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-
Utah), and former U.S. Rep. Denny Smith (R-
Ore.), OCA Executive Director Lon Mabon said
his groups would not concede to the Republican
party.
The OCA will need to collect 38,884 signa
tures by Aug. 25 to make the party official.
Mabon wanted to call the party the American
Heritage Party, but OUTPAC of Eugene filed a
petition to use that name before the OCA had a
chance to claim it.
Mabon told the press that the OCA may present
a candidate against Sen. Bob Packwood if they
succeed in starting the new party. A1 Mobley, who
was backed by the OCA in an unsuccessful bid for
governor in 1990, said he would make himself
“ available” to run for the office.
The Republican State Convention, held in
July, saw OCA members in confrontation with
party leadership.
It was determined at the Republican State
Convention that the OCA neglected to elect their
Lane County delegates by accepted party guide
lines. This made them ineligible to vote at the
convention, which allowed the Republican party
to elect truly representative delegates to the Re
publican National Convention to be held in Hous
ton, Texas. According to news analysts, the OCA
is fast losing national support as a result of its
latest attempts to split the conservative vote in
Oregon.
Portland’s No on Hate
mobilizes grassroots efforts
Workers at No on Hate-Portland have begun
scrambling to launch a large grassroots effort to
fight the OCA ballot measure. Spokespersons
from the group say that their campaign will be
“community based” and "very much at the
grassroots level.” These activities will include
ÍT
canvassing, speakers’ bureaus, letter-writing cam
paigns and assisting people “to host block or
house parties.”
No on Hate's spokesperson, Sharon Hill, says
some of their projects, such as the house parties,
really emphasize person-to-person contact Hill
says some people have said, “ You’ve got to be
kidding.” But Hill continues, "The scary part is
that everybody needs to step forward." She em
phasizes the importance of individuals examining
what they can do on their own. Hill suggests
writing letters to newspapers all over Oregon and
talking to friends and co-workers.
No on Hate is co-sponsoring an Aug. 25 rally
against bias crimes. An Oct. 4 “ family group”
celebration is also being planned to “show people
that the OCA and Dan Quayle aren' t the only ones
who define family."
Coalition for Human Dignity
publishes journal
A comprehensive political exposition on the
Oregon Citizens Alliance has been published by
Portland’s Coalition for Human Dignity. The
Oregon Witness discusses the history of the OCA,
its political connections and strategies for com
bating its campaign.
The Oregon Witness is published six times a
year and is available to coalition members, sup
porters and the public. CHD plans to distribute
the Witness at various Portland metro locations.
CHD may be reached by calling 232-5070.
OCA shows numbers
despite alleged fraud
Oregonians United Together Political Action
Committee was busy filing a complaint of elec
tion fraud with the secretary of state’s office while
the OCA waited until the last hour to turn in their
anti-gay petitions on July 3. OUTPAC told the
Elections Division that their statewide volunteers
had observed OCA petitioners violating election
laws. The OCA petitioners reportedly would
gather a person’s signature and then have her or
him fill out a voter registration card. This activity
often occurred on weekends and late in the day, so
that the cards could not get to the county on the
same day that the petition was signed. Oregon
law requires that people signing petitions must be
registered voters. OUTPAC asked the secretary
of state’s office to investigate the signature dates
and the dates of voter registration.
The OCA petitioners submitted 136,035 sig
natures, and of that number, 115,629 signatures
were ruled valid. The OCA only needed 89,028
signatures to place their amendment on the ballot.
Members of both sides observed the signature
verification procedures.
Steven K oehler, L . M . l .
Licensed Massage Therapist
5 years
experience
THE SEATTLE BASED LESBIAN S/M ORGANIZATION PRESENTS
1POWERSURGE!
THE 1st INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN S/M CONFERENCE
SEPT. 4-6,1992
LABOR DAY WEEKEND
SEATTLE, WASH.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
POWERSURGE • 1202 E. PIKE ST. STE 819« SEATTLE, WA 98122-3936
Yachats, Oregon 97498
Reservations Recommended
!V]
723-2356
CALL
Boa.
282-2226
pager:
220-0785
Rea.:
282-8282
• s p o c i a l i z i n g in (loop illusolo
m assaio
• reduce stress and anxicty
• h o u r l y r a t e s : ir»-$30 • o u t $35