Oregon health officials
shelve a plan to “require the
names of people who test posi
tive for HIV he reported to the
Oregon Health Division and county health departments,”
reports Just Out. Opponents had been afraid people wouldn’t
get tested it they knew their name would lx* known.
1998
In August, the Oregon C iti
Our House of
zens Alliance fails to get two ini
Portland has its
tiatives on the ballot. Marcy
10-year anniversary
Westerling of the Rural O rgan
as a residential care
izing Project isn’t surprised that
facility for people
the O C A couldn’t get enough
with AIDS.
signatures. She thinks “ the time for single-
issue politics is winding down" in Oregon. “T he right is
reshuffling.... T hey’re to a point where they are trying to figure out who they are and what
they’re about." Six weeks later, the O C A files an anti-gay initiative for the 2000 ballot.
The Benton County Commission approves an anti-discrimination ordinance that includes
transsexuals and transgendered people, and the Portland City Council passes a resolution that
“ implements nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender (transgender or transsexual)
identity.” Vancouver, Wash., extends health benefits to the domestic partners of city employees.
In reference to the Tanner vs.
Oregon Health Sciences Univer
sity lawsuit, the Oregon Court of
Appeals rules “that all state and
local governments must offer
spousal benefits to same-sex
domestic partners. Also the rul-
ing prohibits private employers
from discriminating on the basis
of sexual orientation in hiring,
firing and pay hut does not
require them to provide health
benefits.”
State Rep. George Eighmey
tells Just Out, “The Oregon Court
of Appeals has accomplished with
a single opinion what the Oregon
legislative assembly has failed to
accomplish during the past 25
Chris Tanner addressing the 2002 Oregonians Against
Discrimination Luncheon
years of trying.”
In ;i cover story celebrating Black History Month, Just Out interviews “six vibrant Portlanders
who are building bridges across multiple cultural gaps” including the Rev. Cecil Presetxl, who
comments that he rarely hears people ask how he can be gay and Christian. “There are more
pressing issues that need addressing in the African American community,” he says, “especially
when you’re talking about kids dying of gang violence and teen pregnancy." He tries, however, to
“address homophobia— as well as other oppressions— when he must.”
Loric Hansen forms the I lambleton Project/Portland Lesbian Cancer Network in memory of
her partner, Sharon Hambleton, who died of cancer. The organization provides “support, educa
tion, advocacy and direct services to lesbians with cancer, as well as their partners and caretakers."
At least 80 seniors attend Phoenix Rising’s Building a Golden Community. Jawea Mockabee
says, “Aging is difficult, complex and challenging no matter who you are, but it can he even
tougher for those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans.”
Portland Public schools students receive a packet of information about culturally specific serv
ices, which this year includes services for sexual minority students.
The Oregon Health Divi
sion releases its plan on confi
dential HIV testing. The test
ing will continue, but names
of those who test positive will he reported to the public health
system and then 90 days later will he “switched to codes and
wiped from case reports.” Anonymous testing remains an
option for those who do not want their name known. Each
state reports cases of AIDS, but in 1997, the federal Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention “requested th.it all states
conduct HIV tracking as part of their A ID S surveillance
programs, following the same practice used for infectious
disease like tuberculosis and syphilis." Names and unique
identifiers are the most common forms of tracking HIV.
Those who favor the plan say it will “make it easier to
determine the scope of the epidemic," while those who do not favor it
claim fewer people will take the test.
The Cascade Cup, a softball tournament that’s
been
held exclusively in Seattle for the past 18
Portland gets a new police chief,
years, makes its appearance in Portland on alter
Mark Kroeker. After meeting with
nating years. The Rose City Softball Association
him, Sexual Minorities Roundtable
hosts an almost 50-50 split between all-men’s
co-chairwoman Lori Buckwalter tells
teams and mixed-gender teams.
Just Out, “His listening skills were
Deborah Sam uels o f Portland Bisexual
acute, and interpersonal skills very
Women writes a commentary in Just Out titled
good, but you can never entirely know “We’re Here, W e’re Bisexual, G et U sed to It"
what’s behind those eyes.” Members of and wants more coverage of bisexuals. Sh e writes,
“Life is rarely black-and-white; dealing with
the roundtable are taking a wait-and-
bisexuals puts one face to face, at time, with
see approach after learning Kroeker is
shades of gray.”
a born-again Christian.
Lindsey Alexander, aka Tixld Alexander Asay, a
drag queen and performer at Darcellc XV, dis
appeared 10 years ago. In December, her remains
Right to Pride merges with Basic
Rights Oregon. “We’ll he dom estic part
are found in the back yard of a home in Southeast
ners,” com m ents RTP chairwom an Paige
Portland. Portland police arrest Brian David Hill.
Richardson.
In October the Ashland City Council
passes Oregon’s first domestic partner registry
for same-sex couples. By Jan. 19, 2000, 16 gay
and lesbian couples have registered.
“The Tanner case has blown open
Pandoras box,” comments Republican
state Rep. Kevin Mannix in Just Out. “ I
do think (the court) really ran away with
this one. There are times where a partic
ular revolutionary court decision
requires a reaction.”
And the Legislature has quite the reac
tion as it deals with several measures
designed to disassemble the Tanner deci
sion. House Joint Resolution 4 would
require legislators to create laws that
would “recognize, enhance and support
marriage" between a man and woman.
HJR 5 would prohibit state or local gov
ernments from providing health insurance
to domestic partners. And HJR 6 would
require state and local governments to get
voters’ approval “before they prohibit dis
crimination based on sexual orientation.”
Fortunately, they all fail.
Though it rains on our parade, more than 30,000
queers and allies attend Pride ’9 9
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