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A nn S hepherd
M emorialized
ourners packed First Presbyterian Church
on Jan. 25 to celebrate the life of the
woman who for more than 30 years was consid
ered the surrogate mother to Portland’s sexual
minorities community.
Ann Shepherd— who co-founded the local
chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Les
bians and Gays with her husband, Bill— died
Jan. 4 at home. She was 84.
The Rev. Troy D. Perry, founder of the U ni
versal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
Churches, came all the way to Portland from
Los Angeles for the service. The Revs. Dudley
Weaver and Susan Leo of Bridgeport United
Church of Christ also officiated.
“The Shepherd family wishes to thank all
those who have extended the gift of their love
and supportive presence to them in these last
weeks," the service program read. “ In the gift of
one another we find strength and comfort.”
From left, the Revs. Susan Leo, Dudley Weaver and Troy D. Perry memorialize Ann Shepherd
on Jan. 25 at First Presbyterian Church; inset, Susie Shepherd (center) celebrates her mother’s
Remembrances can be sent to the Bill and Ann
life with well-wishers
Shepherd Legal Scholarship Fund of Equity Founda
tion, P.O. Box 5696, Portland, OR 97228-5696.
1988s Ballot Measure 8, which rescinded an
support group and a chapter of Parents, Families
executive order banning discrimination in state
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. In addition,
employment on the basis of sexual orientation.
several
churches formally have been designated
orvallis roup isbands
The initiative later was found unconstitutional
as welcoming or reconciling congregations.
FTER 8— an organization that has provid by the Oregon Court of Appeals.
AFTER 8’s Harvey Milk Awards, which started
ed queer advocacy, education and visibility
“The name ‘AFTER 8’ was chosen as a sign of out as a small one-time dinner at a Unitarian fel
in Benton and Linn counties for the past 15
hope that there was indeed life after Ballot Mea lowship, grew into an annual sold-out affair draw
years— no longer is functioning.
sure 8,” Neustadt said. “We were determined to
ing more than 300 people. In the spring of 1992
“There is not the sustained energy to continue
provide accurate information about the lives of the group joined with the American Civil Liberties
maintaining the groups operations,” president
lesbians, gay men and bisexuals so that nothing
Union and National Organization for Women to
Karuna Neustadt wrote to supporters Jan. 13. “We
like Measure 8 would ever pass again.”
form the Mid-Valley Human Rights Coalition,
believe that the time for AFTER 8 has passed.”
Since then the Corvallis area has seen the
which led the campaign that soundly defeated the
The group was formed after voters approved
creation of three Gay Straight Alliances, a youth
Oregon Citizens Alliance’s Measure 02-06, which
M
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would have allowed dis
crimination based on sex
ual orientation.
AFTER 8 also success
fully worked to include
sexual orientation in a
Corvallis anti-discrimina
tion ordinance; helped
Benton County develop
Oregon’s first human
rights law to include trans
people; convinced the
Corvallis School District
to ensure the provision of domestic partnership
benefits for nonrepresented employees and to cur
tail recruitment by the Boy Scouts of America; co
sponsored the Opening Doors conferences for edu
cators working with queer youth; and assisted
Ashbrook School in writing a policy allowing free
artistic expression for performers regarding sexual
orientation. Volunteers also staffed “bigot busting”
tables and made efforts to expand the public
library’s selection of queer-positive books.
The end of AFTER 8 “does not mean that
there is not room for other LG B T groups to con
tinue with their work, or for another LG BT
group to come into existence," Neustadt said.
“Indeed, we hope that this is exactly what hap
pens, if it is needed.”
A nti -T obacco
C oalition F orms
A
new group is organizing to combat smoking
in the sexual minorities community.
The LG B T Coalition Against Tobacco will
Continued on Page
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