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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 1995)
j u s t o u t ▼ a u g u s t 4 , I M S ▼ 9 o one has to tell Oregonians the battle over gay and lesbian rights is a state wide and local struggle. After all, two dozen local communities have ap proved anti-sexual-minority rights measures during the past few years, malting the state Ground Zero when it comes to fighting these issues out on a community-by-community basis. V According to a new report, however, the Pacific Northwest is no longer the hotbed for anti-sexual- by Inga Sorensen minority legislative activity. The state-by-state people and marriage, remains our vulnerable point. survey, which was conducted by the Washington, which “promotes a homosexual lifestyle,” or “por The public is much more supportive of nondis D.C.-based National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, trays homosexuality as a positive lifestyle.” Two crimination measures for sexual minorities when it says anti-gay and -lesbian legislation has spread Georgia bills sought similar prohibitions but were comes to employment or housing. It’s a lot differ like wildfire across the United States. killed in committee. In Iowa, ultra-conservative ent when it comes to gays adopting children, teach “This survey documents what activists have state lawmakers attempted to pass an amendment ing in schools, or seeking legal marriage,” says to the state’s appropriations bill that would have been telling us all year—the national climate of Portland resident Scot Nakagawa, NGLTF’s act banned public funds from being used to “promote divisiveness and intolerance is playing itself out at ing field director. and encourage homosexu a state and local level,” says NGLTF field orga "The national [les ality” in state colleges and nizer Robert Bray. bian- and gay-rights] or universities. Earlier in the The survey, entitled “Beyond the Beltway: ganizations have histori State of the States 1995: A Look at Gay/Lesbian/ year, the Des M oines cally chosen to ignore School Board dropped a Bisexual Issues at the State and Local Levels,” issues which are on the found that sexual-minority-related legislation proposal for the inclusion cultural fault line and moved forward in 33 states in 1995, with 30 states of sexual orientation issues instead focus on our ar in public school curricu being the sites of anti-sexual-minority measures or eas of strength, namely lum materials. In Nebraska, significant anti-sexual-minority attacks on related barring discrimination in measures, while 18 states advanced nondiscrimi the state Department of employment. It’s clear Social Services instituted nation measures that include sexual orientation in we can’t do that any a ban on lesbian and some way. more,” says the 33-year- NGLTF tracked 97 measures that experienced adoption. old Nakagawa, who has some legislative movement this year. The list in Alaska, South Dakota spent the past two years cluded 39 anti-sexual-minority measures; 12 non and Utah all advanced mea trav elin g across the discrimination measures that were vetoed, killed sures that would bar the country helping activists or indefinitely stalled; 10 nondiscrimination mea legal recognition of same- organize against anti- sures that were not specific to sexual orientation sex marriages. These mea sexual-minority attacks. but included that classification in a broader list of sures were introduced as A c c o rd in g to categories; and one nonclassified measure in Ha pre-emptive strikes against NGLTF, religious con waii that called for investigating ways to offer a pending court case in servatives have enor more-equal benefits to gay and lesbian employees. Hawaii that is challenging mous influence over The intent of the legislation, says NGLTF, was to that state’s prohibition state Republican parties undermine court arguments for same-sex couples against sam e-sex m ar in several states. The re riages. Alaska’s measure seeking the right to marry in that state. * port found that 18 state has not moved from the According to the report, many of the anti- Republican parties are committee to which it was sexual-minority measures advanced this year fo currently controlled by religious conservatives, assigned, although it has an opportunity to move cused on the areas of family and education— and Republicans in four of those states— Alaska, next session. In Utah, the bill was passed and curtailing rights to adoption and foster care, and Arizona, Idaho and Oregon—control both legisla signed into law, and South Dakota’s legislation mandating only negative references to sexual- was narrowly defeated after it inspired the forma tive houses. minority-related issues through the educational “The radical right has been extremely effective tion of the state’s first sexual minority rights politi system. in taking over state Republican party organizations For example, a new Arizona law prohibits cal group. and using the party to push its scapegoating and “The issue of gay people and children, or gay school districts from including any course of study Stormy weather N While a climate o f divisiveness is spreading across the country, there’s a chance o f clearing populist anti-governm ent rh eto ric,” says Nakagawa. "As we’ve seen, this rhetoric is then transformed into anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti women legislation.” According to the NGLTF report, there was some positive activity this year, most notably the passage in Rhode Island of a statewide law ban ning discrimination based on sexual orientation in public and private employment, credit, housing and public accommodations. Rhode Island is the ninth state to implement a statewide nondiscrimi nation measure. In Arizona and Maine, hate-crimes laws favor able to gay men and lesbians were approved, and Illinois enacted a law banning discrimination by some health care providers on the basis of sexual orientation. In Montana, meanwhile, a national uproar en sued after a lawmaker introduced a measure that would have required individuals convicted under the state’s "deviate sexual conduct” law—which prohibits consensual same-sex acts—to register for life with local law enforcement officials. The bill’s sponsor said that gay and lesbian sex was “even worse than a violent sexual act." The “devi ate sexual conduct” provision of the registration bill was subsequently deleted, due to the over whelmingly negative response to the measure. “I’m pleased to report is that there is a tremen dous mushrooming of [sexual-minority-rights or ganizing] throughout the country, particularly in small towns and rural areas,” says Nakagawa. “Gay people are beginning to find their voices specifically in response to the right wing.” He adds, “While I’m inspired by this, I believe we have to do better addressing cultural issues and countering the widespread belief that gay men and lesbians are immoral and a danger to children. Not only that, many people don’t even know that gay men and lesbians are discriminated against.” Nakagawa, who will spend the next four months in Washington, D.C., leading the search for a new NGLTF field director, says his group will spend the coming year focusing on the needs of activists in rural regions of the country. He says NGLTF will start a mentoring program in which organiza tion representatives work with local activists on media, membership and fund-raising issues. The group also plans to publish a quarterly magazine to be used as an organizing tool particularly for citizens who live in isolated areas. 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