aprii 5.2002 • Ju s t o u * 7
rnTTTTTTnrineivs
M abon R eleased
from
J ail
mprisoned anti-gay leader Lon Mabon was
released April 3 on a five-day pass to gather
evidence in preparation for an April 5 deposi
tion. An April 8 hearing will determine
whether he must return to jail.
More than 50 people held a rally March 29
outside the Justice Center to protest Mahon’s
incarceration. They held signs demanding the
release of the Oregon Citizens Alliance chair
man and the imprisonment of Ronald Cinniger,
the Multnomah County Circuit Court judge
who had him thrown in jail Feb. 20.
T he case dates hack to 1991, when lesbian
photojournalist C ath erine Stauffer was
assaulted at a Measure 9 event. Mahon owes
her more than $40,000 but maintains he can ’t
get a fair trial until judges take an oath that
matches the state constitution word for wo
His wife, Bonnie, is collect
ing attorney fees through the
Committee for Constitutional
Courts, which is soliciting
money hy linking this lawsuit to
the fight for gay rights. “The
radical
homosexuals want
nothing less than the complete
destruction of Lon and me,” she
recently wrote to supporters.
W hen asked what she <s
meant by this accusation, Bon a
nie Mabon told Just Out: “I
believe that the homosexuals
have an agenda in our state,
and 1 believe that the media has
pretty much covered them and
has ignored-our side of the question.... They not
only want us to shut our mouths, but they want
Protesters rally for Lon Mabon on March 2 9 outside the Justice Center
to have control of our
schools, and they want our
children to be taught that
homosexuality is gixxl and
right and normal.”
Other signs on display
during the rally: “Churches
Wake Up You Are Next,"
“This Is America! We Want
Justice!” and the ever-popu-
lar “Protect Children from
Homosexuality!” One that
caught the attention of Just Out: "Lon Mabon for
U.S. Senate.”
—
f
Does this mean he plans on playing the role
of spoiler in this year’s election.7 “You’ll have to
ask him that,” Bonnie Mabon said.
G ay P arents P leased
W ith N ews C overage
teve Lofton, the Portland father whose fam
ily was interviewed by Diane Sawyer about
Florida’s gay adoption ban, praised A B C ’s cover
age of the topic.
“1 was very happy with it,” he told Just Out. “I
thought it was very informative for a lot of peo
ple who were kind of unfamiliar with what’s
S
Special Financing
Domestic Partners
\W
You just gotta know where to go!
¿ e p fiy r 16
Tannino'
THE POWER
THE TANNING
• 16 amps
• Single phase,
110 volt,
20 amp
• Structural
and electrical
warranties
• 110v surge
protector
• Special
built-in
safety timer
• Canopy and
lounge formed
to provide
maximum
tanning area
• Top quality,
durable
acrylics
• FDA compliant
20 minute
tanning
• Multiple
cooling fans for
a comfortable
experience
H om e & C astle
. poors
• st* \s • i* a t io
• SHIV i:sv
Tigard 11960 SW Pacific Hwy
99 W at Greenburg Rd (503) 620-4534
See The Boys
At Dick's
Mackenzie Ford
Bill Huff
Haris Akhtar
Roger Johnson
going on, and I was personally flattered with how
much time she devoted to myself and my family.”
Lofton and his partner, Roger Croteau, are
raising five foster children, three from Florida
and two from Oregon. The Sunshine State
wants 10-year-old Bert hack because he no
longer tests positive for HIV and therefore is
considered “adoptable.”
The couple and their children watched the
March 14 edition of Primetime Thursday— dur
ing which Rosie O ’Donnell came out of the
closet in support of them— on a 27-inch Sony
television provided by the talk show host. “Prior
to that they didn’t have a TV, so it was a novel
ty for the kids,” Lofton says.
He admits he wasn’t surprised to leam Flori
da Gov. Jeb Bush rejected O ’Donnell’s recent
request for a meeting. “I think it’s a reflection of
our current government."
The Web site LetHimStay.com, which explains
the American Civil Liberties Union’s lawsuit
against the gay adoption ban, has received millions
of hits since it was launched in mid-March. More
than 200,000 e-mail responses have been sent to
Horida officials in support of Lofton’s family.
“It is clearly evident that a large number of
people know about us and the plight,” he says.
“We’ve had a ton of supportive and positive
response, and not one negative response."
ROP P lans
S trategy S ession
he 10th annual Rural Caucus and Strategy
Session will be held from 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m. April 20 at United Methodist Church,
1450 Fern Ridge Road S.E. in Stayton.
T
Continued on Page 8
Thinking
of Buying
or Selling
a Home?
Dick's Mackenzie Ford
• No Credit
• Bad Credit
• Good Credit
4151 SE T V Hwy
Hillsboro, O R 97123
503 693-1133
-
Not good with any other offer
Brian Olson
realtor
503 341-8212
-
brianolson@cbseal.com
Working non-stop
to save you time and money
C O L D U Je U .
B A N K E R
□
B a rb a ra S u e S e a l P ro p e rtie s