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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2001)
21.2001 otherwise. Washington County Sher iff’s Detective Michael O ’Connell said a similar incident had happened at least once in the victim’s past. More than 500 people attended a candlelight vigil Sept. 14 at Pioneer Courthouse Square to remember Okaruru as well as the thousands of lives lost in the terrorist attacks on New York and W ashington, D.C. About 150 mourners gathered Oct. 7 at the steps of the Washington County Courthouse for a Rally Against Hate, r n July, Just Out wrote about a 7-year- old youth support group coordinated hy a counselor at M cM innville High The Yamhill County Sheriffs Office demoted Debra School. Susie Alin says Counter Bal- Widker jn August ance continues to struggle financially. mission. In addition, they honed in on Moeller’s “For a while 1 received a small stipend to sexual orientation, saying he established the help cover my time as a professional,” she agency to expand sexual minority rights. reveals. “I applied for another grant last year, “The implication is that there is also some hut no luck. So this year, as in other years, I ‘gay agenda,’ ” he told Just Out in September. have been personally covering the expenses.” “Sexual orientation currently is not protected in After being without a home for four months, a Washington state from discrimination in hous McMinnville church agreed to give Counter Bal ing, employment or public accommodation, and ance a place to hold meetings. According to Alin, since the local H RC will he based on state and between two and 20 kids show up every week. federal laws, their concerns in this area are “There are at least three students who have groundless and appear overtly bigoted." told me that they are alive and well today Joanie Schrader led a petition drive to get because Counter Balance is there for them,” she the decision placed on the Nov. 6 ballot as a says. “There are others who have been helped referendum. T he commission was defeated 65 in other ways; safety and respect of oneself are percent to 35 percent. frequent topics.” omestic partners con ehra Walker, a 50-year- tinue to register with old sergeant from the Multnomah County. Since Yamhill County Sheriff’s Sept. 1, 2000, more than Office, still is feeling the 300 have paid $60 for the effects of the fallout after certificate. her transition from male But interest appears to to female. be slowing. After an initial Despite an exemplary I surge of 192 couples during record, in the year after | the first four months, only comments more important than ever. “ 1 think her announcement of a 1 112 have registered so far the reasons that he shouldn’t he on the school gender change, the depart- “ this year. hoard are just as valid...if not more so, given ment conducted six inter- 5 The registry allows all what’s happening in the world.” nal investigations into her unmarried domestic part performance. For more C 'ty Councilor Jim M oeller was ___ ? _______ According to Wiener, the recall effort still ners, including o ________ same-sex could happen. He says people are gauging their than a year, she was pulled accused of promoting a “ gay agenda” couples, to formalize their relationships as public level of interest and will make a decision within off the road as field super- *n Vancouver, Wash. the next month. visor and reassigned to a desk job. record. Although it is mostly a symbolic gesture, In mid-August, Walker was demoted from the number of couples who sign up will help farmer found the body of Loni Kai Okaruru, a sergeant and placed on a year’s probation. She determine when the next step might occur in 28-year-old trans woman, Aug. 26 in a field thinks the county wants nothing more than to granting some of the benefits afforded to married near Hillsboro. It was the first homicide to he make her disappear. couples. classified as a bias crime in Washington County. “The probation thing meant the union can’t And as a sure sign of assimilation, a county Investigators think a driver offered Okaru represent [me] and that I could be terminated for official says “three or four” couples already have ru a ride under the assumption that she was a any reason as it placed me as the lowest seniority dissolved their partnerships. All they had to do woman hut became angered upon learning member of the union,” she says. “Didn’t matter was fill out another form and fork over an addi that I had 18 years’ service with the county.” tional $ 25 . j n I ortland Public Schools board member Derry Jackson outraged the community in July when he said, “I see the Jews running everything.” This came just months after his failed effort to lift the dis trict’s ban on military recruiters. During that ordeal he sent an e-mail to col league Sue Hagmeier, calling homosexuality a “behavior” as opposed to race, which is determined at birth. More than 30 people formed Portlanders Against Prejudice, promising to launch a recall effort as soon as possible. According to Oregon law, they can’t file a petition until officeholders Service Center have served six months of their current term, which means they could start gathering signa tures next month. But times have changed since last summer, according to Kathie Humes, who attended that initial meeting. Although she doesn’t speak for everyone, she no longer is interested in recalling Jackson. “For me personally, Sept. 11 changed things,” Humes says. “1 think we need to focus the energies of our community on taking care of each other and our children. Such a cam paign right now would he divisive.” Meanwhile, fellow Portlander Against Prej udice Mark Wiener says current events make a response to Jackson’s anti-Semitic and anti-gay D A O î - ..... A mourner lights a candle for Loni Okaruru ! penly gay City Councilor Jim Moeller faced a firestorm this year surrounding the Van- couver/Clark County Human Rights Com mission. The basic goal of the agency, requiring about $50,000 in annual funding, was to elim inate and prevent discrimination in work, housing, public accommodation, credit and insurance. Critics saw it as a duplication of services provided by the Washington State Human Rights Com- Couples celebrate their domestic partnership registry
