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Strong, Compassionate, a Leader
D iane
LINN
for Multnomah
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“ / urge gay and lesbian voters and our allies to join me in support­
ing Diane Linn for Multnomah County Commission. She’s consistent
competent, someone we can count on.”
— Jean Harris, Executive Director - Basic Rights Oregon
★
Vote May 19th!
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be an effective County Commissioner.”
— Willamette Week - May 6, 1998
Questions? Give Öiane a call at 236-5408
Authorized by Friends of Diane Linn • P.O. Box 82161 • Portland, Oregon 97282
BOLI B acks C laims
A state agency finding bolsters charges of discrimination made
by transsexual against Corvallis Mail Center employee by Inga Sorensen
Because of the nature of the letter and the hos­
’m ecstatic,” says transsexual activist
tility it created, [Sinclaire] has suffered pain,
Ashley Sinclaire in response to an Oregon
Bureau of Labor and Industries finding that
humiliation and mental distress.”
“I’m ecstatic because I received positive find­
an employee at the Corvallis Mail Center
ings for both my city ordinance claim and the
violated her civil rights.
disability claim,” explains Sinclaire, who now
Sinclaire filed her BOLI complaint in late
February, charging the center had violated both
lives in Portland. “But I’m also very pleased
a Corvallis nondiscrimination ordinance bar­ about how strongly worded the BOLI finding
ring discrimination based on actual or perceived
is—I mean, to use words like ‘intentional, offen­
sexual orientation, and a state disability statute.
sive, derogatory and demeaning’—that’s some­
Following an investigation, BOLI issued a
thing.”
notice April 28 agreeing there was “substantial
The notice concludes, “The Oregon Bureau
evidence to support allegations of discrimina­
of Labor and Industries, Civil Rights Division,
finds substantial evidence of an unlawful public
tion.”
Sinclaire, 28, intermittently rented private
accommodation practice on the basis of disabil­
mailboxes from the Corvallis Mail Center dur­
ity in violation of ORS 659.425 and the city of
Corvallis ordinance.”
ing a five-year period.
Last spring, Sinclaire legally changed her
Margaret Deirdre O’Hartigan is the acting
name (from Benjamin John Campbell) and
director of the Filisa Vistima Foundation, a
started hormone therapy as part of
her male-to-female sex reassign­
ment process.
Sinclaire says during this time
she was collaborating with
Washington prisoner Donald
Snook on projects related to
prison activism. She also says the
two had a “romantic relationship,”
and that Snook knew of her trans­
sexual status and was supportive.
According to Sinclaire, that
summer Snook received a hand­
written letter which read: “Don—
Ashley let me read your letter. I
hope you know she is a he. His
reall [sic] name is Ben Campbell.
He is a fag. You are getting love Ashley Sinclaire
Portland organization which advocates for
letters from a man who wants to be a woman.
transsexuals. She says the positive finding of dis­
Think about it. He wants to move to San
crimination on the basis of disability in public
Francisco. This place is known as gay bay. I lived
accommodations is significant because it marks
2 hours south of this hell hole. Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha.
You stupid ass. You want pussy so bad you will let
the “first such finding in this state for transsexu­
als in public accommodations.”
a fag turn you on.”
She calls it a “clear advance and affirmation
Snook forwarded the letter to Sinclaire, who
that we are protected on the basis of disability
feared someone was stealing and reading her pri­
vate mail. Sinclaire says she never let anyone
under Oregon law.”
Sinclaire is involved in settlement negotia­
read her correspondence with Snook.
tions via BOLI with the Corvallis Mail Center.
When she reported the matter to Corvallis
“I can’t really talk about that,” she says. “All
police, she says, they initially “neglected to take
1 will say is that I won’t allow a gag order which
a written report” because they felt no crime had
stops me from talking about what happened.”
been committed.
Brown did not want to comment but did tell
Sinclaire surmised that Jennifer Kroesing, an
employee of the Corvallis Mail Center—and Just Out she and her attorney were working on a
daughter of the facility’s owner, Kelly Brown—
settlement agreement.
Sinclaire, meanwhile, is calling upon the
had written the letter to Snook. Samples of
Corvallis City Council to add trans people to
Kroesing’s handwriting obtained by her and
some friends “exactly matched the handwriting
the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance.
In a letter to the council members, she
in the homophobic letter,” Sinclaire recalls.
Sinclaire says she went back to the Corvallis
writes: “Although trans people face discrimina­
police with the information, and that, eventual­ tion every day, the Corvallis Mail Center’s hate­
ly, law enforcement questioned Kroesing and
activity is the main event that inspired people to
ask the Corvallis City Council to add us to the
Brown.
According to the police report, Kroesing ini­
city ordinance....
tially “denied any knowledge of the letter writ­
"Transsexuals and transgenders need inclu­
ten to Snook.” She later admitted to authoring
sion in the city ordinance for a number of rea­
the letter, but denied stealing or opening mail.
sons.... Although Oregon disability law covers
Sinclaire filed a complaint with BOLI citing
transsexuals, as it should, it does not specifically
Corvallis’ anti-discrimination law, which in part
mention us by name.... Also, the existing legal
prohibits discrimination in public accommoda­ protections for Oregon transsexuals are current­
tions based on actual or perceived sexual orien­
ly under attack. The Oregon Citizens Alliance
is gathering signatures for a November ballot
tation, as well as a state disability law which
BOLI previously determined covers transsexuals.
initiative...which would ban all legal recogni­
In his finding, BOLI civil rights investigator
tion of sex changes in Oregon.”
Job Valverde writes: “The comments Jennifer
Sinclaire tells Just Out, “I’m really delighted
with my BOLI finding, but there is still such a
Kroesing made in her letter were intentional,
offensive, derogatory and demeaning. Kroesing’s
long way to go when it comes to obtaining our
conduct violated the rights of [Sinclaire].
rights.”
I