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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 1995)
jus* out ▼ novom bor 3, 1999 ▼ 13 GREAT RATES “T he themes w e’ve dreamed” are at the Building a bridge State Rep . Chuck Carpenter surprises many by making a conservative alliance ▼ by Inga Sorensen ordon Smith has said it is a “special right”—and one which he opposes— for people to receive legal protec tions from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Gordon Smith reportedly vows to vigorously oppose any at tempt to provide legal recognition to same-sex couples who wish to marry. Gordon Smith has publicly welcomed an endorsement from the Or egon Citizens Alliance, a group which many feel has created a climate of intolerance that has left an ugly mark on the state and its people. This is the man that openly gay state Rep. Chuck Carpenter wants for United States senator. “What can I say? It really comes down to the fact that I’m more com fortable with Gordon as a person than I am with Norma [Paulus],” says Carpenter, a first-term R epublican legislator whose district covers portions of Washington, Multnomah and Colum bia counties. The 3 3-year-old former Nike employee surprised many within the gay and political es tablishments by his re f i r ' cent endorsem ent of Smith (R-Pendleton), a M,/. sJw? <. < \ \ K ' •' ~4bt*®8 social and fiscal conser Chuck Carpenter vative who is running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Bob Packwood. Smith, a multimillionaire businessman and state Senate president, is vying for the GOP nomi nation along with Norma Paulus, the state schools superintendent. Jack Roberts, Oregon’s labor com missioner, and lesser known candidates. The race for the Republican nomination is widely held to be a two-person contest between Smith and Paulus. “Chuck showed up at Norma’s [U.S. Senate campaign] kick-off [in late September], and he was very enthusiastic about it. Chuck told her if he could help in any way to just let him know,” says Paulus spokeswoman K.C. Cowan. “His endorse ment of Gordon was a shock. I mean sure, Gordon might be a pleasant guy, but this is a U.S. Senate race, and let’s take a look at his stand on the issues.” According to Cowan, as a United States sena tor Paulus would co-sponsor federal legislation barring employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. She adds that Paulus supports civil rights protections— at all levels of govern ment—prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations; Paulus op poses the military ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers; and, Cowan says, Paulus sup ports benefits coverage for the partners of gay and lesbian employees. (Cowan says Paulus is still formulating her position on the issue of same-sex marriage.) Unlike Smith, Paulus has publicly chastised the OCA for its divisive campaigns. In October she attended Right to Privacy’s Lucille Hart Din ner, a major fund-raiser for the gay, lesbian and bisexual rights organization. Not surprisingly. Smith was a no-shriw at that 4 event, and he did not even bother responding to G m m RTP’s candidate survey. (Smith campaign man ager Dan Lavey did not return our phone calls.) Smith says he did not support 1992’s Ballot Measure 9 or 1994’s Measure 13; he has said he opposes the OCA’s latest anti-gay initiatives. “Gordon may be on the right when it comes to social issues, but I wouldn’t call him a bigot,” says Carpenter, who is thought to be a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. “Gordon has always been very accepting of me.” Carpenter says he was flattered when Smith included him in negotiations last session over pressing legislative issues, most notably funding for light rail, which both men supported. “Gordon pulled me into a lot of stuff when he didn ’ t have to,” says Car penter. “He called me for an endorsement. Norma never did.” When asked whether his endorsement may be m m viewed as a self-serving ; m act, Carpenter says: “I ’ m sure 90 percent of the gay community will feel j like I’ve sold them out, '■È-'" M but that’s the way it goes. I like Gordon. He’s a decent person.” “You often find ama --im teurs in state legislatures. Maybe it is just a matter of Chuck Carpenter lik ing Gordon Smith, but there could be something else going on,” says Bill Lunch, a political science professor at Oregon State University in Corvallis. “Gordon Smith has lots and lots of money, some of which he may contribute to Carpenter’s re-election campaign,” speculates Lunch. “It also may be an attempt by Carpenter to ward off a primary challenge from someone on the right. Carpenter may be saying to potential right-wing Republican challengers: ‘Hey look, I’m a conser vative, too,” by throwing his support behind a conservative candidate and not the moderate.” RTP has endorsed Paulus in the GOP primary because she is supportive of sexual minority rights as well as reproductive freedoms for women. “Gordon Smith doesn’t support either,” says RTP executive director Barry Pack. In fact. Smith has thrown his support behind a new OCA initiative that would bar late-term abor tions except when the woman’s life is threatened. “Those are two bottom-line issues for Right to Privacy,” says Pack. “We do not support Chuck’s decision.” During the last election, RTP’s political action committee, which contributes thousands of dol lars to political candidates, endorsed both Car penter and his Democratic rival, Jeanne Atkins. It was a very tight race, and the favorable nod from RTP could have pushed Carpenter over the top. “Obviously [Carpenter’s endorsement of Smith] will be something our board will discuss the next time we are deciding our endorsements,” says Pack. As for what Carpenter stands to gain if Smith is triumphant: “I’d be one of the few openly gay people who could walk into Gordon’s office,” he says. "Where the Pacific Ocean is open 365 days a year!” Y our hosts : G eoff P faff & D anny L eines 421/423 N. 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