ju s t o u t ▼ Ja n u a ry 6 , 1 0 0 9 ▼ 10
difficult for me to understand
people who can keep switch­
ing their views on that kind of
an issue,” says Roberts, who
adds she has experienced dis­
crimination firsthand as the
mother of a disabled son. She
also says when she was a single
mother she faced credit dis­
crimination because of her
marital status. “Discrimination
isn’t right, but it exists, and
that’s why I feel compelled to
speak out against it.”
s governor, Roberts tes­
tified at legislative hear­
ings in favor of gay and
lesbian rights bills—a step no
other governor has taken. On
May 20, 1991, just hours after
the Oregon Citizens Alliance
announced its plans to pass its
“Abnormal Behaviors Initia­
tive,” better known as Ballot
Measure 9, Roberts called a
press conference where she
blasted the OCA for its anti-
sexual-minority crusade. She
was among the first—and cer­
tainly the most prominent—of
public officials who went head
to head with the OCA over the
issue of civil rights for lesbi­
ans, gay men and bisexuals.
Roberts appointed Oregon’s
first two openly gay and les­
bian judges, and she was a
staunch backer of a state hu­
man rights commission— sup­
port she says was prompted by
an alarming rise in homophobic
violence. She also regularly attends Right to
Privacy’s Lucille Hart Dinner, a major sexual
minority rights fund-raiser.
“I think Oregon is very unique. At RTP’s
Lucille Hart Dinner you’ll see dozens upon doz­
ens of politicians and public officials on hand
supporting the gay and lesbian community. This
just doesn’t happen other places,” says Roberts,
who has become a prominent figure to gay men
and lesbians nationwide. During the past few
years Roberts has been a keynote speaker at the
Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Cam­
paign Fund’s Leadership Conference, and she has
traveled to several major cities specifically to
trumpet civil rights for sexual minorities. Most
recen tly , R oberts and R epublican Barry
Goldwater, a former U.S. senator, co-chaircd
Americans Against Discrimination, an HRCF
project designed to promote tolerance.
“I’ve tried hard to create a tolerant climate in
Oregon. I’ve had to constantly make it clear
where I stand on human rights for gays and
lesbians, as well as other people. I think my
willingness to talk about these issues made other
people feel more comfortable about coming for­
ward,” she says. “Unfortunately it is still fairly
unusual for a politician to do that, particularly
outside of Oregon. Even Ann Richards, who had
very strong support from the gay community,
never appeared at a gay event. I know there was
frustration on the part of the gay community in
Texas because of that.”
A
oberts’ willingness to publicly address dif­
ficult subjects is not limited to political and
cultural issues— it also encompasses per­
sonal matters. Two years ago Roberts did not
attend the Lucille Hart Dinner, opting instead to
spend that time with her ailing husband, state Sen.
Frank Roberts, who was in the latter stages of
cancer. As Frank Roberts’ disease progressed, the
duo turned to the gay and HIV/AIDS communi­
ties to learn about dying with dignity. In a letter
that was read at the fund-raiser, Barbara and
Frank Roberts not only thanked Oregon’s gay and
lesbian citizenry for supporting them profession­
ally, but also expressed their gratefulness to the
community for helping teach them how to live out
R
their final days together in the most fulfilling
manner they could.
“There are so many memories Frank and I
shared in this house,” says Roberts of the
governor’s quarters in Salem. "I remember when
we got this elevator put in [funded at her own
think I’m probably due,” says Roberts. And what
will she do? Savor some of the small pleasures of
life, of course: “Like wearing jeans instead of
pantyhose. And it will be nice to drive a car
again,” laughs Roberts, who admits she and Frank
used to sneak a drive when they were at an out-of­
Above: Roberts greets local activist Kathleen
Sadaat at the 1994 Lucille Hart Dinner; Below:
Roberts addresses the Senate Business,
Housing and Finance Committee on behalf o f
SB 70S
As governor,
Roberts testified at
legislative hearings
in favor of gay and
lesbian rights
a step no other
governor has taken.
On May 20, 1991,
just hours after the
Oregon Citizens
Alliance announced
its plans to pass its
state event. “Maybe I’ll even play some video
poker.” And she’ll be jotting down some personal
“ Abnormal Behaviors
observations about what is was like to be gover­
nor, “while those details are still fresh” in her
Initiative, better known
mind.
as Ballot Measure 9,
s for her future professionally, Roberts
Roberts called a press
says she’s eyeing a couple of positions at
Harvard, as well as a job with a nonprofit in
conference where she
the nation’s capital (she didn’t want to say which
organization). Maybe, too, when the political
blasted the OCA for
pendulum starts swinging back to the left, she’ll
even make another bid for the governor’s seat.
its anti-sexual-minority
“I’m not ruling it out,” she says. “I love serving
the people.”
crusade.
—
expense and through private donations]. Frank
[who was wheelchair-bound] was soexcited when
he finally got to see what the second floor of the
house looked like. This is the home where we
shared life and death together.”
Although Frank Roberts passed away several
months ago, the governor says she has not had an
appropriate opportunity to grieve. “If there is any
community who will understand my need to
grieve— and from that grief the chance to heal—
I would think it would be the gay community. I
need to take that time for myself—that was the
primary reason I chose not to run for re-election.”
Time to heal and take a vacation: “It’s been 10
years since I’ve taken an extended vacation. I
,
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