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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1996)
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Oregon 97204 Portland, Oregon _ Aiillynn The Senate debate brought less vitriol, but the vote paralleled that o f the House—DOM A passes and END A fails Domestic Partnership Adoptions Divorce & Modifications REAL ESTA TE • Travel the world, but call us first. •g a rn ir ' S m y BANKRUPTCY • ❖ v/ FAMILY LA W • • ■ Net our day / /* ’sHouse "ScId” Wo Fall is in the air, and the Portland housing market is still sizzlingl Buying or selling real estate? Let me give you a hand. As YOUR community real estate professional I can gently guide you through every step of the buying & selling processl ▼ BUYERS, as an experienced BUYER'S BROKER I'll help you find your dream home or investment at the best price & will represent you & your interests from the initial negotiations through every step to closing. ▼ SELLERS, I can put my too marketing & sales experience to work for you! I'll price your home for optimum return, & see that it gets the broadest possible exposure in the full marketplace, (even nationally on my new tollfree lin el) ...Yes, I'm "high tech", but still "high touch"... you'll always get my full personal attention! n 3 Q ta x t (>if jZistenLn$ ...n T CALL NOW to schedule your FREE CONSULTATION I line ▼ OUT on Broadway 12100 NE Broadway, Suite 1-B Portland, OR 97232 1503-287-9632, x122 (24 hr voicwnail/pagw) \cellular 318-1455 t fax 503-284-1618 / H i l l i f n n f a m e s , GDI I OUT o f the area? 1-800-825-9948 ▼ Associate Broker, multimillion $ producer | f E-mail: millynnj @aol.com ...is our real estate professional |W Specializing in classic & restorable homes in Portland's established neighborhoods, close-in.... 8 Proudly celebrating my 25 yrs of active participation in the struggle for gay 8 lesbian liberationI !▼ £££ Me iN ru e cLA S S ineD S foq . m s \eeuee eececrev ueritjsev ▼ by Bob Roehr he gay and lesbian community suf fered double defeats in the U.S. Sen ate on Sept. 10, when the Defense of Marriage Act passed 85-14 and the workplace protections of the Employ ment Non-Discrimination Act narrowly lost 49- 50. On the same day, the formal trial began in Hawaii that seems likely to lead to the legalization of same-sex marriage. There was little suspense over either Senate vote. It was apparent virtually from the moment of its introduction that DOM A would pass by a large margin. The July vote of 342-67 in the House demonstrated that, and the Senate fol lowed by a similar lopsided margin. Senate debate was more restrained, though the less vit riolic language did nothing to change the discriminatory effect of the bill. O regon and Washington sena tors were split on the votes. Oregon senator M ark Hatfield voted for DOMA and for ENDA. O regon senator Ron Wyden fulfilled his campaign pledge to lesbians and gay men by voting against DOMA and for ENDA. Wash ington sen ato r Slade Gorton voted for DOMA and against ENDA. Washington sena- „ _ , tor Patty Murray Senator Ron Wyden surprised gay rights activists by voting for DOM A and for ENDA. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said DOMA “is not mean-spirited or exclusion ary, it is a pre-emptive measure to make sure that a handful of judges, in a single state, cannot impose a radical social agenda upon the entire nation.” Robert Byrd (W.V.), a Democratic predeces sor in that position, urged his colleagues: “Let us defend the oldest institution, the institution of marriage between male and female as set forth in the Holy Bible.” The meager defense of gay men and lesbians was led by Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) who called DOMA “a wedge between one group of citizens and the rest of the country.” The vote on ENDA was closer than expected. But there was little tension in the air, as all players knew the vote was purely symbolic. The legisla tion would not be discussed in the House, so it was fated to die with the conclusion of this session of Congress in early October. David Pryor (D-Ark.) was absent to be with his 33-year-old son who had just undergone ex tensive surgery for cancer. His office said he would have voted for ENDA. If that had been the case, the 50-50 tie would have allowed Vice President A1 Gore to cast the tie-breaking vote and pass the bill. Many political observers recall votes when T ailing members of Congress have been wheeled into the chamber on a gurney to cast a crucial ballot. Pryor’s absence may cause some to ques tion the pledge of George Stephanopoulos, before the Human Rights Campaign’s “OutVote ’96” in August, that “President Clinton and his entire administration will be fighting for [ENDA], and we will win this time.” Surely the president could have swayed his fellow Arkansan. Human Rights Campaign’s Elizabeth Birch was “appalled” by losing the substantive vote on DOMA and called on President Clinton to veto it. At a news conference following the vote she ignored a question as to whether the organization would withdraw its endorsement of Clinton if he signs DOMA. She gushed about losing the symbolic vote on ENDA, “We came within a breath of victory today.... W e’ll hit the ground running in the 105th C on gress.” Melinda Paras, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, called on the president to “rem em ber his campaign promise to gay and lesbian A m ericans in 1992, when he said that he has a dream for America and gay and lesbian people are part of it.” She urged a veto of DOMA. “This vote [DOMA] is a deplorable act of hostility,” said Matt Coles of the American Civil Liberties Union. “It is the worst thing any Con gress has done to gay Americans. This vote will go down in history as a low point in our nation’s struggle against bigotry.” The Rev. Mel White of the Metropolitan Com munity Church continued a vigil outside the Capi tol building while the debate and votes on these bills took place within. Twenty people formed a triangle on the steps of the Capitol. A minister read the name of a senator and the group would respond, “God give them wisdom.” Then another name, and the response, “God open their hearts.” The cycle repeated through all 100 names. Representatives from ACT UP, PFLAG, the gay and lesbian youth group SMYAL, and others have joined in the daily vigil which began on Sept. 1. The location of their activities now switches to Lafayette Park across from the White House. And that is where they were the following day at noon— in the rain—bearing witness to all who participate in enacting anti-gay legislation. Several days, perhaps weeks, will elapse while the bill is formally transmitted down Pennsylva nia Avenue to the White House. President Clinton has 10 working days within which to sign or veto DOMA. He has indicated his strong support for the measure.