j u s t o u t ▼ ju n o 2 0 . 1 9 9 7 ▼ 1 5
Fire rocks clinic
I
n the wee hours of May 23, fire ripped
through the Lovejoy Surgicenter, a health
care facility snuggled on a semi-quiet street
in Northwest Portland. The center also
Arson levels extensive damage on Northwest Portland’s
happens to be Oregon’s largest provider of
abortion services.
Lovejoy Surgicenter, but work goes on undaunted
Behind the building, located at 933 NW 25th
▼
Ave., sat a metal drum, which hovered near a
junky-looking blue Chevrolet Citation parked
by Inga Sorensen
next to Lovejoy’s rear door. A hose journeyed
from drum to building.
beat those,” she says. “Not just one segment—all
matic—but at the same time, we did not let this
of us. That’s what we must do in the face of this
By the time the final spark went dead, an
interfere with our work.”
estimated $425,000 in damage was inflicted.
campaign against women. But the key is to be
According to Ortman, Lovejoy did not have to
Emotionally speaking, staff appeared shaken and
multi-issue—to stand up for immigrants, to de cancel any of its procedures, because the facility
angry—though it certainly wasn’t the first time
fend women on welfare, to back those with dis
was scheduled to be closed the day the fire occurred
the center had shouldered the brunt of violence.
abilities. We cannot afford to be single-issue.”
anyway. Additionally, she says other health care
Anti-abortion rights activists have long made
Carye Ortman, who has been Lovejoy
providers made their facilities available to Lovejoy
their presence felt at Lovejoy Surgicenter, via
Surgicenter’s director for the past four years, says
staff so appointments could go on as planned.
pickets and other protests.
the show of support makes a difference.
“Whoever did this must be disappointed,” she
Eight years ago Lovejoy garnered $8.2 mil
“Radical Women put together the march a
says.
lion after successfully suing Advocates
for Life, an anti-abortion organization
often described as ultra-extremist.
The building was also set ablaze five
years ago. Grants Pass resident Rachelle
“Shelley” Shannon, a radical anti-abor
tion activist, was eventually convicted
of a slew of arsons, Lovejoy’s among
them, involving health care facilities
throughout the West that offer abortion
services. Shannon was later sentenced
to 20 years in prison.
This time the attack occurred just
days after bomb threats had been phoned
into clinics that provide abortion ser
vices in Portland, Eugene and Yakima,
Wash. Again, Lovejoy was on the list.
The stew of history blended with the
evidence in this most recent case almost
immediately led federal Bureau of Al
cohol, Tobacco and Firearm officials to
deem the fire an arson. The investiga
tion into the person or people behind the
crime continues.
A few days after the fire, meanwhile,
demonstrators gathered in Northwest
Portland to condemn the act of aggres
sion.
“When the right wing attacks any
group— gays and lesbians, immigrants,
unions—we need to visibly stand against A view o f the dam age at Lovejoy Surgicenter
that siege,” says Radical Women mem
ber Marjie Sandoz, who helped orchestrate the
week after the fire and even though it was down
“America is facing a campaign of terror,” says
demonstration, which featured an array of social
pouring, 50 to 75 people were there,” she says. “It
Lisa Horowitz, executive director of the Oregon
ist organizations including Radical Women, So
was very uplifting. Also, a great group of men
chapter of the National Abortion and Reproduc
cialist Action, International Socialist Organiza
from CAP [Cascade AIDS Project] and Our House
tive Rights Action League.
tion and the Freedom Socialist Party.
came over to help with clean-up...and we re
According to Horowitz, attacks nationally
ceived 150 faxes from other clinics across the
Sandoz urges people to remember how effec
against clinics that provide abortion services have
country telling us to hang in there.”
tive it was when various communities joined
escalated in 1997 compared to 1996, which saw a
together to help defeat the extremely divisive
Ortman says that sense of camaraderie has
decline from previous years.
anti-gay rights ballot initiatives, measures 9 and
been vital in helping center employees through
She says she’s not exactly sure of the reasons
this ordeal. “We’ve even had counselors come in
13.
behind the activity, but feels it must be counter
“It took the whole community to come out to
to meet with staff,” she says. “It’s very trau
acted—on all levels.
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“We’re seeing an upsurge in violence, and we
continue to see anti-choice legislators try and tear
away at women’s legal right to abortion,” says
Horowitz.
A handful of bills that could hinder access to
abortion in Oregon have been introduced this
session in the state Legislature. Among them is
House Bill 3532, sponsored by Rep. Ron Sunseri
(R-Gresham), which would require that a “parent,
guardian or conservator of minor female be noti
fied before performance of abortion, with speci
fied exceptions.” The measure would punish fail
ure to give notice by a maximum 30days’ impris
onment, $ 1,000 fine, or both.
Senate Bill 1132, sponsored by Sen. Marylin
Shannon (R-Brooks), and cosponsored in part by
Republican Reps. Charles Starr of Hillsboro,
Sunseri, and John MinnisofWood Village, would
make it a crime to “perform an unlawful partial
birth abortion” punishable by imprisonment, a
fine or both.
Sen. Eileen Qutub (R-Beaverton),
has also introduced a potpourri of bills
that could chip away at access.
Shannon, you may recall, is the chief
sponsor of the so-called Defense of Mar
riage Act, which would block same-
gendercouplesfromattainingequal mar
riage rights in Oregon.
Shannon, Sunseri, Qutub, Starr and
Minnis (among others) are known for
their resistance, at best, to gay rights and
their strident and effective opposition,
at worst, to the acquisition of those rights.
Both Sandoz and Horowitz say it’s
important to note the links between those
who oppose sexual minority and abor
tion rights.
Horowitz, meanwhile, says she
doesn’t expect any of the anti-abortion
rights bills to clear the Legislature this
session.
Despite that, she says their very ex
istence poses a threat.
“Abortion and abortion rights may
be yesterday’s story for the media, and 1
think the public is tired of the divisive
ness, but the fact remains that women’s
reproductive rights are continually un
der attack and we need to stand against
that,” she says.
Lovejoy Surgicenter is seeking donations to
assist with building repair and upgrade.
Those wishing to help m ay send checks to
Lovejoy Surgicenter, 933 N W 25th Ave.,
Portland, OR 97210. Specify on the check
that the money is to be used fo r that purpose.
The facility also uses volunteer escorts fo r
clients when necessary. For m ore information
about becoming an escort, contact
Karen Perry at 221-1870.
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