just out ▼ January 16. 1998 ▼ 15
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Promoters take their concert elsewhere when
a Corvallis school recoils at endorsing ‘gay lifestyle’
v
nondiscriminatory policy; it must publicize the
policy change when it occurs; and it must make an
information sheet available to potential renters
outlining details of the nondiscrimination policy.
Miles initially said she hoped to come to a
resolution without winding up in court. In De
cember she told Just Out that Ashbrook had
scrapped its rental policy and suspended renting
its theater while it created a new, nondiscrimina
tory policy.
When we contacted Ashbrook for this update,
an employee who would only identify herself as
“Cindy” told us “the matter was resolved.”
When we inquired as to whether a new nondis
crimination policy had been crafted, Cindy told
us she did not know, and would “make sure” to let
school headmaster David Gore know we called.
Gore has refused to comment, despite our
repeated attempts to speak with him.
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t appears definite that Cris Williamson and
Tret Fure will not be performing at the
Ashbrook Independent School as initially
expected.
“I’ve heard the school may not rent to
anybody anymore,” says concert promoter Mike
Meyer, who had been negotiating with the
Corvallis-based college preparatory school to hold
a concert featuring the longtime folk/pop musi
cians at its new 402-seat theater.
The concert is one of many sponsored each
year by the Corvallis Folklore Society, of which
Meyer is a member.
In the Dec. 19 issue, Just Out reported on the
controversy that ensued when school officials
balked at concert promotional materials which
described Williamson and Fure as “life partners.”
Meyer says he was asked to censor that infor
mation, which he refused to do. He says he then
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requested to see the school’s rental policy, which
was drafted as a result of the incident.
That policy read, in part: “School is not the
place to promote or publicly attack sexual
lifestyles. If the Anti-Gay Alliance or OCA wants
to promote their views in our theater, we will not
rent it to them. We also avoid entertainment that
blatantly ridicules or endorses gay lifestyles. We
are not concerned with the sexual orientation of
the renters, we are concerned only with the intent
to use the school as a platform for promotion of a
sexual orientation.”
Meyer filed a compliant (as an individual, not
as a representative of the society) with the city
maintaining that the school violated a 4-year-old
Corvallis ordinance barring discrimination in
housing, employment or public accommodations
based on race, religion, age, disability, marital
status, sexual orientation or source of income.
Prudence Miles, the city ombudsperson, told
Just Out that while Ashbrook may be a private
school, it is making its facilities available for
nonschool-related activities and thus its actions
become subject to public laws.
The Corvallis Folklore Society, meanwhile,
has steadfastly insisted that a few points be met
before a resolution is found: the school must come
into compliance with the law and establish a
Meyer, meanwhile, says Ashbrook offered its
theater back to the society at a reduced rental rate
minus a nondiscrimination policy.
“That’s just too important,” he says, adding
that the Corvallis Folklore Society board of direc
tors unanimously voted to require a written policy
before it would rent the theater.
According to Meyer, the Corvallis Gazette-
Times has since branded the Folklore Society
“ungracious,” saying it exhibited “bad manners”
and was “more interested in politics than the arts
in the community.”
He says on its Dec. 19 editorial page, the
newspaper gave the society a “raspberry” for not
accepting Gore’s offer.
“Not once in two editorials has the Gazette-
Times given Gore anything resembling a rasp
berry,” says Meyer, adding that he has not ruled
out more aggressive legal action against the school
if it fails to “come into compliance with the law.”
Cris Williamson and Tret Fure are slated to
perform on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Majestic
Theatre in Corvallis. Tickets are available now
at Grass Roots Books in Corvallis and Mother
Kali's Books in Eugene. For more information,
call Mike Meyer at (541) 758-3243.
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