ITîTSm news
E lection ’98
Court judge’s ruling in favor of two gay men who
challenged the state ban on same-sex marriage.
As in life, there were ups and downs by Inga Sorensen
The judge said choosing a life partner was a fun­
damental right and the state had to prove a com­
With another anti-gay initiative poised for couple of tough— though not unexpected— hits
nd then there was one.
pelling reason to regulate it.
the year 2000 ballot, that could mean BRO
in Hawaii and Alaska.
When the Oregon Legislature
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
potentially has an additional 65,000 new sup­
opens for business come January,
In Hawaii by a 2-to-l margin, voters
representatives say they are “disappointed but
approved a measure allowing state lawmakers to
it appears a singular sexual minor­ porters to turn to for votes and money.
not defeated” by the Hawaii and Alaska votes.
“So
not
only
were
we
trying
to
get
a
particu­
craft
legislation
prohibiting
same-sex
couples
ity lawmaker— state Sen. Kate
“Although a disappointment and setback
lar candidate elected, we were also building
from legally marrying.
Brown, a Portland Democrat who has publicly
that leaves more hurdles in our path, these votes
[BRO’s] base,” she says.
The proposal was designed to circumvent a
identified as bisexual— will be among the 90
do not stop our march to equality,” says Lambda
As for the balance of power in the state Leg­
1993 court ruling that concluded Hawaii’s refusal
legislators serving in Salem.
Marriage Project Director Evan Wolfson. “1 have
islature,
it
appears
Republicans
will
maintain
to recognize same-sex marriages was unconstitu­ faith that the more the public hears about how
Many gay and lesbian rights activists were
cautiously optimistic that openly lesbian candi­ control of both the Senate and the House by rel­ tional unless the state could show a compelling
discrimination hurts real-life lesbian and gay
atively
slim
margins.
That
reality
will
likely
reason
for
not
allowing
same-sex
couples
to
date Elli Work, a Bend Democrat
couples— people who commit to each other in
marry.
translate into another defeat for a statewide gay
vying for the House District 54 seat,
sickness and in health, raise families, pay taxes,
rights bill, as well as some feisty battles over
would join Brown, whose seat was
In a 1996 decision, Hawaii Circuit Judge
yet have no legal protections when medical and
anti-gay legislation.
Kevin Chang found the state could offer no good
not up for grabs during the Nov. 3
other emergencies arise— the more the public
election.
reason for its discrimination but stayed his deci­ will support ending sex discrimination in civil
marriage, and allow these couples to wed."
sion while the state appealed to Hawaii’s highest
However, as Just Out went to
the national scene, history was made
o
:
,
when Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Demo­ court. A decision is pending.
Dan Foley, a Honolulu attorney and co-coun­
press, it looked like Work would lose
In response to the proceedings, more than
sel in the Hawaii marriage case, adds: “It is wrong
her bid to Republican Tim Knopp.
crat, became the first nonincumbent, out gay
two dozen states have barred same-sex marriages,
that basic civil rights for a vulnerable minority
candidate elected to Congress. In addition,
The day after the election, Work’s
were put to a vote at all.
openly gay U.S. Reps. Bar­
campaign manager, Cliff Cook, said
This slices at the core of
ney Frank, a Massachusetts
of the predicted disappointment,
our democratic system and
“We’re surprised. We were consis­ Democrat, and Jim Kolbe,
cuts a hole into Hawaii’s
an Arizona Republican,
tently getting good numbers.... We
constitution.”
were re-elected.
let our hopes get away from us.”
Cook in part attributes the out­
Kerry Lobel, executive
In other races closely
watched by queer folks,
director of the National Gay
come to the almighty dollar.
t= *
and Lesbian Task Force,
U .S. Rep. Chuck Schu-
“I bet [Knopp] outspent us 2-to-l.
mer, a New York Democ­
We weren’t able to get on television says: “Tammy Baldwin ran a
rat, unseated Sen. Alfonse
as early as Tim did,” he explains. “It terrific campaign and will
D’Amato in one of the
bring vision, integrity and
was the same with our mailings.”
most contentious cam ­
Cook also says registered Repub­ energy to our issues. With
paigns in the country. The
licans outnumber registered Democ­ the re-election of Barney
Human Rights Campaign,
rats by roughly 2,000 in the district,
Frank and Jim Kolbe, we are
a Washington, D.C.-based
better represented than ever
which includes Deschutes County.
gay political group, caused
before.”
“Given all of that, we did what we
quite a stir when it
Two other openly lesbian
could,” he assesses. “In fact, I don’t
endorsed D’Am ato over
know if we could have done any­ Democrats sought U .S.
Schumer.
House seats. Grethe Cam-
thing differently.”
In California, Sen. Bar­
Cook says, at least at this time,
mermeyer, a former Army
bara Boxer, a Democrat,
Work has no plans to for run for pub­ colonel, was defeated by
beat challenger Matt
Republican Rep. Jack Met­
lic office in the future.
Fong, who raised the ire of
calf in Washington state,
During the last legislative session two years
Jean Harris (right) and others get early results at elections headquarters in Portland
many in the sexual
and Christine Kehoe lost to
ago, there were four openly gay, lesbian and
minorities
community
G O P Rep. Brian Bilbray in a
bisexual state legislators: Democratic Reps.
when it was revealed he gave $50,000 to Lou
and Congress passed the Defense of Marriage
George Eighmey and Cynthia Wooten, both of California race.
Sheldon’s Traditional Values Coalition.
Act, which denies federal recognition of same-
whom were restricted from running again due to
Voters in two Maine cities cast ballots on
Also in California, former U .S. Rep. Robert
sex marriage and allows states to disregard same-
local gay and lesbian rights measures. In South
term limits; Republican Rep. Chuck Carpenter,
Doman, known for his extremely anti-gay bent,
Portland, they approved a proposal banning dis­ sex unions licensed elsewhere.
who lost in the May primary; and Brown.
lost to incumbent Loretta Sanchez after a heated
The Hawaii ballot initiative amends the state
crimination based on sexual orientation in
Jean Harris is the executive director of Basic
campaign.
constitution to empower the Legislature to
employment, housing, public accommodations
Rights Oregon, a statewide grass-roots group that
“The defeat o f Dom an, D’Am ato, and
promotes queer rights. BRO backed a handful of or the extension of credit, but in Ogunquit, vot­ reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples— which
Fong— a rabid right-wing politician, a staunch
lawmakers will likely do.
ers rejected a similar measure by nine votes out
state legislative candidates, including Work, by
anti-choice politician who ran a very hostile
Meanwhile, in Alaska voters opted 2-to-1 to
of a total 757 cast.
providing money and volunteers.
amend the state constitution to limit the defini­ campaign, and a supporter of the Traditional
Voters in Fayetteville, Ark., and Fort Collins,
Harris says during the campaign, BRO con­
Values Coalition— may take some of the wind
nected with an estimated 130, OCX) voters, rough­ Colo., also defeated gay-related anti-discrimina­ tion of marriage as only between one man and
out of the sails of the right wing," says N GLTFs
one woman.
tion initiatives.
ly half of whom the organization has deemed
The measure was in response to a Superior
Kerry Lobel.
The gay and lesbian community also took a
friendly to its causes.
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