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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2003)
may 16.2003 hen former Portlander Renée Jacobs ran into Móni- ca Taher at a recent Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation event in Cali fornia, they thought it would catch up. Little did they know that catching up would take them all the way back to 1996 and a lawsuit against The Oregonian. Taher, who until last month served as West ern regional media manager for GLAAD, had the latest information on the media watchdog group’s campaign to convince more newspapers to list same-sex commitment ceremonies, unions and weddings. At least 200 publications have agreed to carry the announcements. “I said to Monica: Tve just got to know. Is The Oregonian one of the papers doing this now?’ ’’Jacobs recalls. “Monica started laughing and said yes and 1 said, ‘Well, guess what?’ ” Jacobs proceeded to tell the story of what happened seven years ago when two lesbians sued The Oregonian for not running their wed ding announcement. It was 1996 and same-sex marriage was a hot topic, especially in Hawaii, where the issue bounced between the courts and state Legisla ture. The Hawaiian situation made some states so nervous that they created laws recognizing only hetercisexual marriages. Then the feds jumped in with the Defense of Marriage Act. The pre-emptive national legisla tion defined marriage as between one man and one woman. It also allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. During the summer of 1996, Sandra Linebarier and Charlene Morris weren’t trying to change legislation. They just wanted their W didn’t find out until she caught up with Jacobs at the GLAAD event. “When Ménica and I made Attorney reflects on 1996 lawsuit the connection, tears welled be a chance to up,” Jacobs says. “It was just f against The Oregonian b y Pat Young one of those moments of realiz r ing that change was possible.” Jacobs adds, “When I fin wedding announcement printed in The Oregon- The New York : ,, ion. After all, it was a free service offered to the Times would ished with that lawsuit and moved to California, I did not community. They soon learned it was a service list same-sex think that I would see a offered exclusively to the heterosexual commu cerem onies. change in that policy for nity. When The Oregonian refused their request, “We thought decades, if at all.” they sued, saying the newspaper violated city that if The and state laws prohibiting discrimination in New York So far, only one lesbian public accommodations. Times did it, couple have placed an ad Representatives of the publication claimed then by de in the “Celebrations” section. the wedding announcements were news items fault other Mary McCarty and and thus covered under the First Amendment. papers would Lottie Zorn were "When Monica and I “Hiding behind the First Amendment protec follow,” Taher explains. not happy when their tion was little cover for the fact that it really was At The Oregonian, Taher announcem ent ap made the connection, blatant discrimination,” says Jacobs, the attor talked to executive editor Peter peared under the tears welled up. ney who represented Linebarier and Morris. “Commitments” head Bhatia and editor Sandy Rowe. The judge agreed with The Oregonian and “They were not defensive, and ing. The paper refused It was just one of those denied a preliminary injunction that would they listened to me,” she says. “I to rerun the ad under have forced the paper to run the announcement wanted to meet with them in moments of realizing that “Weddings.” submitted by Linebarier and Morris. Joe D. Bai person, but they said that wasn’t “It wasn’t a commit change was possible. " ley, a Multnomah County district judge pro tern, necessary.” Instead, Taher ment,” Zorn told Just wrote that there was a “rational basis” to have e-mailed to them a PowerPoint Out in December. “It — Renée Jacobs marriage defined as a heterosexual ceremony. presentation similar to the one makes us sound like we However, he also wrote that “there is a rational GLAAD used with The New York Times. were committed to an insane asylum.” basis for the meaning plaintiffs assign to ‘wed In late October, The Oregonian revealed it In addition to The Oregonian, several other ding.’ ” Meanwhile, the couple’s announcement would revise its policy to include same-sex Portland-area papers list same-sex ceremonies, ran in The Tigard Times. notices. Furthermore, all items would be treated including The Beaverton Valley Times, The Tigard Last year Taher called The Oregonian to get it as paid advertisements in a new section called Times and The Tualatin Times. Obviously, Just Out always has had an inclusive policy. J H to join the growing list of newspapers that “Celebrations” beginning Dec. 7, 2002. included same-sex couples on wedding pages. Throughout the many phone calls and GLAAD launched its Announcing Equity Proj e-mails, no one at The Oregonian mentioned to P a t YOUNG is a Portland free-lance writer and ect in the summer of 2002 with the news that Taher that the paper was sued in 1996. And she gay and lesbian historian. W edded B liss pride: n. 1. feeling o f honor and self-respect; sense o f personal worth; satisfaction or pleasure taken in one’s own or another’s success and achievements. 2. time to reach out and come together as a community to celebrate! 3. an excellent marketing opportunity! Ju s t Out's Portland Pride 2003 issue hits the streets June 6. *This year we are publishing, distributing and handling advertising for the program previously coordinated by Pride Northwest. *This special section will include extensive coverage of honorees and entertainers appearing in the Rose City as well as details about planned Pride festivities throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. A tte n tio n business o w n e rs a n d advertisers Call your Ju s t O ut advertising representative or the sales line at 503-236-1253 to reserve space in this special issue. The deadline is noon Tuesday. May 27. www.justout.com Auto, Home, Life, Health & Business epb&b "Your Independent Insurance Agency in su ran ce K J lio tt, P o w e ll, ( U d e n ttc Baker, In c . 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