I ——
.'in
november ! 7 . 2000 * Just out, j 5
m e w s
or the third time in eight years, a
majority of voters said “no” to Lon
Mahon and the Oregon Citizens
Alliance. The anti-gay group’s Mea­
sure 9 went down to defeat 53 percent
to 47 percent after a tight four-month race.
Opponents said it would have eliminated
H1V/AIDS education and vital counseling for
sexual minority youth and would have created
an atmosphere of intolerance for many of Ore­
gon’s public schoolchildren and their families.
The O CA said such legislation was needed to
halt a ' “gay agenda” that is negatively influenc­
ing students.
Scores of No on 9 supporters gathered to
watch early election returns Nov. 7 at Portland’s
Benson Hotel. Many huddled around television
sets; some packed the lobby bar in hopes of a
spontaneous celebration when television sta­
tions reported the measure’s defeat.
But that did not happen.
By midnight, most of the partygoers were
heading home with few definitive results, not
only about the presidency hut also about Mea­
sure 9. The race was within only 2 percentage
points for most of the evening and remained in
a statistical dead heat for more than 36 hours.
Chris Williamson waited for good news
about the measure with a dozen friends near the
hotel’s front doors, a television set providing the
latest results from around the state. They proud­
ly wore purple No on 9 stickers as they partied
into the night. Many in the group were too
young to remember 1992’s Measure 9— well-
known as one of the most contentious and divi­
sive political fights in Oregon history.
Williamson remembers 1992, though.
Although he was concerned that this year’s race
was so close, he said he tried to remain confi-
S trike T hree ...
...but the Oregon Citizens Alliance vows to stay at bat
by Jon athan Kipp
dent about the measure’s imminent failure.
But Williamson said he noticed Measure 9
didn’t seem to generate the same kind of reac­
tion from the gay community that earlier anti­
gay measures did, which worried him. "There
does not seem to he the level of fear.”
Some stayed in the hotel’s lobby well after
Portland’s television election coverage ended.
Bill Karpen of Basic Rights Oregon watched
national returns with a few diehard No on 9 sup­
porters and fellow Democrats. Periodically
updated Measure 9 results raced across the bot­
tom of the television screen, hut none provided
the news they wanted.
Karpen, a transplant from California, said he
thought the measure ultimately would he defeat­
ed but remained cautious on election night. He
said he is happy to be in Oregon despite the
OCA’s anti-gay efforts.
Although California has areas that are
affirming of the gay and lesbian community,
Karpen said the state is much like Oregon with
its own divisive anti-gay forces. He said he came
to Portland because he thought he could make a
difference here. “In California everything is so
huge,” he said.
Within 24 hours, some Portland pundits
were predicting the defeat of Measure 9. By
Nov. 9 the spread widened, and the No on 9
Campaign was claiming victory.
Although 26 Oregon counties gave the mea- I
sure a thumbs-up, 10 counties helped
defeat it, including Multnomah, Wash­
ington and Clackamas. The remaining
seven counties saying “no” were outside
the Portland metropolitan area and
included Clatsop, Lincoln, Benton,
Tillamook and Hood River.
The No on 9 Campaign spent more
than $1.4 million to defeat the initia­
tive. The O CA raised only $200,000.
Although expensive, the campaign
cost less than the two campaigns in
the early 1990s. The original Mea­ 1
sure 9, which would have codified dis­ 2
crimination based on sexual orienta­
tion in Oregon’s constitution, cost the
gay and lesbian community and their
supporters $2.1 million. It was defeat­
ed 56 percent to 42 percent.
1994 s Measure 13 cost $1.8 million Bill Karpen of Basic Rights Oregon watches election
to defeat. It lost by only 4 percent, 52 returns Nov. 7 at Portland’s Benson Hotel
percent to 48 percent.
Within hours of Measure 9’s defeat, he said
Since the O C A ’s inception in 1988, Ore­ he already was working on a new version of
gonians and a few out-of-state supporters
the so-called Student Protection Act and was
have spent more than $6.5 million playing
making plans to place the initiative on the
defense against the groups right-wing and
2002 ballot. Mabon told the Oregonian he
anti-gay political maneuvers. Although
expects the O C A to be gathering signatures by
many, including Mabon himself, predicted a spring of next year.
third defeat in eight years would mean the
Only 67,000 signatures are required to place
end of the O C A , the group’s leader spent lit­ an initiative before voters. More than 675,000
tle time licking his wounds.
Oregon voters supported Measure 9. j n
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