june 20.2003 • J u s t a o tj
nTTïTTTFTnJTlnewsbrie/s
T rans A ctivists
C elebrate I nclusion
G ordon S mith H ates H ate B eaverton S upports
N ondiscrimination B ill
.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., held a press
P
conference June 17 in Washington, D.C., to
urge passage of legislation expanding the defini
tion of hate crimes to include sexual orientation.
He was joined by U.S. Sens. Ted Kennedy,
D-Mass., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Judy
Shepard, whose son Matthew was killed five
years ago in Laramie, Wyo. Also in attendance
was former University of Oregon student Trev
Broudy, who was severely beaten with a baseball
bat last year in West Hollywood, Calif., after
hugging a male friend goodnight.
Last month Smith’s office signed a statement
asserting that it will not discriminate against
queer employees. For several years the Human
Rights Campaign has asked members of Con
gress to prohibit bias based on sexual orienta
tion, but this is the first time gender identity and
expression have been included in the pledge.
ortland activist Lori Buckwalter participat
ed in a national telephone conference call
June 17 that discussed efforts to include trans
people in federal legislation that, as currently
worded, would ban workplace discrimination
based on sexual orientation hut not gender
identity.
This year marks the first time that virtually
the entire sexual minorities community achieved
consensus and solidarity concerning trans inclu
sion in all aspects of the movement. More than
20 queer organizations— including the Human
Rights Campaign; National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force; American Civil Liberties Union;
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and
Gays; Pride at Work; and National Latina/o Les
bian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Organiza
tion— have signed statements, sent letters or par
ticipated in face-to-face meetings with the lead
congressional sponsors of the Employee N on
discrimination Act and voiced their unqualified
support for trans inclusion in the hill.
“The attention that the trans community
has put forth for a long time has often been a
cause for frustration,” said Buckwalter, executive
director of It’s Time, Oregon! “We got the
impression in reviewing this proposal with trans
activists around the country that this really
energized the community. It gave them an alter
native to lix)k forward to working in an equi
table relationship and with the full support and
shoulder to shoulder with the whole communi
ty. I think that that’s really sort of a monumen
tal change within our own community of matu
ration and attitude and a new hopefulness that
we have in this legislative process.”
U
H ouse P arty P lanned
for D ean C ampaign
B
L egislature C onsiders
A nti -G ay I nsurance B ill
B
Lori Buckwalter (left, with her partner of six
years, Debra Samuel) says the queer community
is undergoing “ a monumental change” regarding
trans inclusion
A
fter receiving a unanimously supported res
olution from its Human Rights Advisory
Commission, the Beaverton City Council voted
June 2 to endorse Senate Bill 786. The legisla
tion, which is being considered in the Senate
Rules Committee, would add sexual orientation
and gender identity to Oregon’s existing non
discrimination laws.
"This was the right thing to do,” Mayor Rob
Drake said. “Being free of discrimination is a
basic human right. Fighting discrimination is of
top concern for maintaining a high quality of
life. People should not have to constantly look
over their shoulders.”
asic Rights Oregon is urging people to tell
their elected representatives to vote no on
legislation that would exempt companies with 25
or fewer employees from nondiscrimination pro
visions in health insurance coverage based on
sexual orientation. Small businesses are estimated
to make up 70 percent of the businesses statewide
and employ about half of the workforce.
Current law states, "No inquiry in an appli
cation for health or life coverage shall be direct
ed toward determining the applicant’s sexual
orientation.” Under House Bill 2537 this provi
sion no longer would apply to small employers.
usinessman and longtime gay activist Terry
Bean will hold a house party supporting
Howard Dean’s bid for the Democratic presiden
tial nomination from 5 to 6:30 p.m. June 27 at
1882 S.W. Hawthorne Terrace, with a telephone
call from the former Vermont governor at 5:30.
The minimum contribution is $100, and
anybody who has played host to a Dean house
party and raised at least $200 can go for free.
Organizers also are looking for $500 co-hosts.
To RSVP or to volunteer by helping contact
potential guests and donors for this event , call
Jules Kopel-Baily at 503-804-6910. For more
information visit wuAV.deanforamerica.com.
Continued on Page 8
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