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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1997)
local news Wronging a right Proposed statewide legislation could rub out gains made by transsexuals “We’re simply striving for consistency, to bring state law more in line with existing federal law.” Earls says AOI’s intention is not to "single out” and remove the ci vil rights protections of any one group. She also suggests that those who find the legislation threatening head to Salem to state their case before legislators. “This is not necessarily the final bill,” she adds. Incidentally, according to Earls, SB 482 was mistakenly referred to the Senate Health and Hu man Services Committee. She says she plans to have the bill moved to the Business, Law and Government Committee. McNamara, meanwhile, says she intends to meet with legislators as soon as possible to lobby against the proposal. by Inga Sorensen oAnna McNamara knew it was a tenu ous situation from the get-go. “I suspected this might happen when I did the original work,” says the Lake Oswego attorney who was instrumental in getting the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Indus tries to reverse years of policy and begin accepting complaints from transsexuals whoclaim discrimi nation because of their status as transsexuals. After McNamara persuaded the agency that transsexualism must be considered a protected disability underOregon law, BOLI began accept ing such claims in October. McNamara’s efforts, however, are in now jeopardy due to a bill pend ing in the Oregon Legislature. Senate Bill 482 would revise state discrimina tion laws against disabled persons by, in part, modifying the legal definition of a disability to specifically exclude transsexuals from coverage. ‘‘It’s also offensive to lump transsexuals with pyromaniacs, exhibitionists, kleptomaniacs and [people with) other antisocial behaviors,” adds Buckwalter, the founder and director of It’s Time, Oregon!, a fledgling organization whose goal is to “focus on [the] legislative, legal and civil rights effort for transgendered people.” While Buckwalter advocates the passage of nondiscrimination legislation that is inclusive of trans people, she acknowledges the need to secure protections for that particular population in any possible manner. Gender identity disorder is listed in the Diag nostic and Statistical Manual o f Mental Disor ders published by the American Psychiatric As sociation. For transsexual adults, a GID diagnosis is usually necessary to get hormones and surgical reassignment or to get reimbursed for transition- related care. GID has also been used to gain ‘'If approved [SB 482] would essentially strip transsexuals of any civil rights protections in Oregon. ” Lori Buckwalter A portion of the measure’s language matches an amendment to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. That amendment, brought by ultraconserva tive Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, states that under federal law a person with one or more of the following conditions is not a disabled person: “transvestitism, transsexualism, pedophilia, ex hibitionism, voyeurism, gender identity disorders not resulting from physical impairment, or other sexual behavior disorders.” The list also includes compulsive gambling, kleptomania and pyroma- nia. “If approved [SB 482] would essentially strip transsexuals of any civil rights protections in Oregon,” says Portland resident Lori Buckwalter, who is scheduled to undergo gender reassignment surgery in April. Travel the world, but call us first. antidiscrimination protections for trans people in some jurisdictions, under the aegis of laws pro hibiting discrimination against people with psy chiatric disabilities. While a growing number of jurisdictions are prohibiting discrimination against trans people without reference to GID, no such protections exist anywhere in Oregon, hence the weighted importance of the BOLI decision. “This is extrem ely d istressin g ,” says Buckwalter, adding that ITO is still formulating its response to SB 482, which was introduced by Sen. Gene Derfler (R-Salem) at the request of Associated Oregon Industries, which represents the interests of Oregon’s business community. “Businesses here essentially now have two different sets of regulations to adhere to— state and federal,” says Betsy Earls, an AOI lobbyist. Book flap Seattle public schools endeavor to make diverse family images available to pupils ▼ by Inga Sorensen T racy Flynn isn’t afraid of acknowl edging reality. “Gay and lesbian families exist in our district,” says Flynn, a health cur riculum specialist for the Seattle pub lic schools system, “and our goal is to support all families.” One way Flynn intends on doing so is by making books featuring a diversity of families available to public elementary schools through out the Emerald City. As with school districts nationwide, money is tight, so Flynn turned to the Fund «•*« for Lesbian and Gay Fami lies with Children—en dowed last year by Se attle City Council woman Tina Podlodowski and her partner, Rochelle Milcur—and secured a $6,150 grant to bolster a project designed to in creaseunderstanding of different kinds of fami lies and “dispel myths and stereotypes.” A critical compo nent of the project is the purchase of books such as Michael Willhoite’s Daddy’s W edding, whose cover features a gay male couple in tux edos serving each other a slice of wedding cake. Not surprisingly, critics have emerged, in cluding state Sen. Harold Hochstatter (R-Moses Lake). According to media accounts, he character Baddy's wedding «SSE America’s Vacation Store GAY GAMES V Amsterdam! August 1-8, 1998 Accommodations are at a Premium! Guarantee Yours with an Advance Deposit. 'S e rv in g O u r C o m m u n ity b y M e e tin g Your N e e d s ” 232-5944 1 800 232-5944 Re3' “ - - 1939 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, Oregon » T ravel A g e n t s PI I nternational . Call 503*223*1100 or 800*357*3194 24 H ours a day, 7 days a week e-mail: rip-tai@ ix.netcom .com 917 SW Washington • Portland, Oregon OR REG #221 ized the project as promoting homosexuality. “It is very, very subtle,” he said. “It is the kind of thing these children would be vulnerable to, and it needs to be resisted.” Senatorial colleague Val Stevens (R-Lake Stevens) earlier introduced Senate Bill 5167, which sought to prohibit schools from presenting or “promoting” homosexuality. The bill failed to clear its committee, however, and is considered by most political observers to be dead. “We see this type of bill pretty much every year,” says Flynn, who is pleased by its consistent failure to move. Nonetheless, she says such legislation tosses another ob stacle in front of backers of diversity and m akes som e school personnel ner vous. “When you’re talk ing about a school en vironment, emotions really get heightened,” says Flynn, adding that the district has received both pro and con phone calls from concerned parents. While she says the district intends to follow through with the procure ment of the books, Flynn -— admits enough opposition could “lead to a holdup in the process.” “It’s too soon to know if that will happen,” she tells Just Out. “Hopefully that won’t be the case.” exotic S ilver • F urniture and gifts from the world over
