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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2002)
Co tiT o l F DEFEHSI LL 28 Meghan Moyer (right) leads a rally for Kulongoski before the “Jabbin’ at the Aladdin” debate B ringing the H ouse D own asic Rights Oregon is keeping a close eye on legislative races this year, because the politi cal climate in Salem next session will make or break a hill banning discrimination in employ ment, housing and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. T he organization has poured more than $40,000 into the campaign coffers of fair-minded candidates. Field director Jessica DuBois has been asking them a slew of questions to determine their stance on queer rights. “We look at not only their support of our issues and their voting records...but defi nitely also look at the health of their campaign— if the candidates are walking and knocking on doors, if they’re actively fund raising, if they’re get ting out and doing what they really need to do, if they have a good mail plan and things like that.” These are the most notable races in this election cycle: • Senate District 17: DuBois said B R O is helping Democratic state Rep. Charlie Ringo defeat Republican state Rep. Bill W itt, who “real ly couldn’t be more of a foe, sincerely, to our issues. He has been a co-sponsor o f Defense of Marriage Act-type legislation...in 1999.” W itt, a founder of the Oregon Christian Coalition, also contributed money to the Oregon Citizens Alliance’s Ballot Measure 9 campaign in 1992. • H ouse D istrict 3 8 : D em ocrat G reg Macpherson faces Republican Jim Zupancic, who “did not want to participate in our (ques tionnaire) process at all,” DuBois said. • House District 2 8 : Democrat Jeff Barker “is a former cop, an ex-M arine who is a white older m an...w ho’s very progressive on social B Clearly N ot Just a Patio Cover issues but doesn’t necessarily have the back ground that makes you think that he would be,” DuBois said. His opponent is an African Amer ican Republican, Keith Parker. “T h at’s just an interesting race in terms of the profiles of the two candidates...at first glance not necessarily appealing to the base of voters that you would think that they would be appealing to.” • House District 3 4 : Beaverton voters can’t lose with Democrat Brad Avakian and Republi can John Scruggs, who received a rare dual endorsement from BRO. “W e’re saying that each of these people...is equally good on our issues," DuBois said. support you, because the G L B T community is part of the Democratic family.” For more inform ation call 503-234-5365. D emocratic P arty L aunches Q ueer O utreach P rogram he Democratic Party of Oregon announced Sept. 4 a new organizing effort to engage more members of the state’s gay, lesbian, bi and trans communities in the democratic process. T he party has hired a field organizer devoted to working with other advocacy groups in the sexual minorities community to educate voters about the candidates on the Democratic ticket and their positions on the issues. Meghan Moyer has been meeting with organizations such as Basic Rights Oregon, Metropolitan Community Church of Portland and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; promoting the party at events such as Salem ’s Capitol Pride and last m onth’s queer film festival; and regis tering voters at gay bars. Another component of this effort is to encour age more people to be active in the political deci sion-making process— not only this fall but for the long term. Officials believe that the health of the state’s future is riding on this race and that unity is essential in order to promote equal opportunity, access and treatment for all. “We don’t just want you to support us,” said Barbara Smith Warner, director of Forward Ore gon, the party’s coordinated campaign. We want to T C abin F ever he Log Cabin Republicans of Washington announced their endorsements Sept. 21 for the Nov. 5 gen eral election and — guess w hat?— th ey ’re all Republicans! “Log Cabin is proud to support these candidates for public office,” president Brian C . Ballard said. “Each candidate agrees that gays and , lesbians should be treated T equally under T h e Log Cabin Republicans the law. 0f Washington are silent Log C abin on Jim Moeller asked candidates whether they would support legislation prohibit ing discrimination on the basis of sexual orienta tion and whether they would continue to fund HIV/AIDS programs. They also were considered based on their support for recent legislation. Conspicuously missing from the list was a recommendation for Seat 2, District 49— a race pitting gay Democratic Vancouver City C oun cilor Jim Moeller against anti-gay Republican attorney Barbara Peterson. Ballard told Just Out that the G O P candidate had not responded to Log C abin’s requests for information. For more information visit UFiwe.LogCabmWA.com. F ab J ab he queerest sighting during the “Jabbin’ at the Aladdin” debate O ct. 14 had to be infamous drag queen Darcelle escorting Repub lican gubernatorial candidate Kevin Mannix to his seat. T h e questions, however, never tackled any sexual minority issues. Polls show Democrat Ted Kulongoski in a sur prisingly tight race with M annix, an ultraconser vative Catholic who authored a bill to ban artifi cial insemination for unmarried women in 1995 and sponsored a ballot measure banning same-sex marriages and opposed granting gay men and les bians the right to take family leave to care for a partner in 1999. Two years ago he expressed his support for the Oregon Citizens A lliance’s Mea sure 9 before doing a flip-flop on the issue. j n T Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Kulongoski hitches a ride from campaign staffer Gail Shibley, Oregon’s first openly queer state legislator, during Portland Pride 2 0 0 2 U nique G arden A rt & S pecialty G in s a H Living By The Garden 1X2» \K Alberta I’ ll 150:11 2X7-11II M y Sexy Gifts - Exciting Ideas Unique Apparatus Travel Services & Gift Gallery « C l e a i M ^ X 'K .“ ,?. N ew ly O pened Corner o f Sandy Blvd. 9t NE 6 4 tb 3 1 0 6 NE 6 4 tb Portland, O B 9 7 3 1 3 6547 SW Beav Hills Hvvy • 503 297 0675 www.worldaccents.com 503 2*0 80*0
