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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 16, 2004)
luly lb. 2004 • jU S t O liti 1 3 kUH;* 1 mews O n the R ecord Court orders state to register same-sex marriages by Jim R ad o sta he Oregon Court of Appeals Riled July 9 that the state must register the 3,000 marriages of same-sex couples that took place earlier this year in Portland. Circuit Court Judge Frank Bearden ordered the state April 20 to register the marriage licens es issued in Multnomah County. The state had requested that the portion of the niling requir ing registration be stayed, but the appeals court refused to grant a restraining order. “These couples have already done what any other couple seeking to marry has already done to marry in the state of Oregon,” said Rebekah Kassell, spokeswoman for Basic Rights Oregon. “It’s only fair that the state register those mar riages— and that they are afforded the same pro tections and responsibilities of marriage that any other Oregon couple is afforded.” County Commissioner Lisa Naito praised the decision. “It is one more step towards equal privilege in granting marriage licenses regard less of gender,” she said. Commissioner Sere na Cmz called the niling “another important court victory in the ad vancement of civil Serena Cruz rights.... The state of Oregon can no longer deny these couples access to the privileges, rights and responsibilities that are granted to straight couples.” Cruz added: “The state should end the uncertainty it has caused for the 6,000 people who married in Multnomah County. There have now been three court decisions ordering the state to provide the full legal recognition these couples deserve.” Bush Blames Oregon I physical and emotional health....’ The president [seems] oblivious to the fact that there’s no way for him to say gay people should not be afforded equal marriage rights without also meaning that gay people and our relationships are inherently inferior, subhuman. Yet, he asks that we discuss this civilly and with respect.” Smith Ignores HRC Ad Sometimes you just need a car. If you live in P o rtlan d or V ancouver, chances are th a t one of our sedans, m inivans or pickups is parked near you. Flexcar lets you drive th em like they w e re your ow n. The key d ifferen c e? We pay insurance, parking, gas and maintenance. You pay a few bucks an hour. Join today and you'll alw ays have a car when you need one. JOIN FLEXCAR, H E L P P R I D E NW Pride NW staff use Flexcar. For each new Flexcar member who joins in response to this ad. Flexcar will donate 5 hours of free usage to Pride NW. Fill in "V10PRIDE" in the promo code box of the online application. J O IN O N L IN E AT W W W . F L E X C A R . C O M OR C A L L 8 7 7 . F L E X C A R T he Human Rights Campaign t(X)k out a full- page advertisement July 13 in The Oregonian discouraging U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., from voting for the Federal Marriage Amendment. The ad quoted from the paper’s July 11 edi torial: “To his credit, [Smith] has exercised a iTKxlerating influence on his own party on gay rights. So it was disappointing to learn Friday that Smith intends to vote with G O P re actionaries in favor of a retrograde amendment to the U .S. Constitution, banning gay marriage.... Most Americans understand the politics of distraction.... Smith should recon sider his vote. A champion of gay rights has no business aiding such a political prank.” H RC urged supporters to call Smith’s office in Washington, D.C. The nationwide ad cam paign resulted in more than 200,000 messages to Congress. Apparently, Smith wasn’t listening. He voted to move forward on a version of the amendment that would have jeopardized state civil unions and domestic partnerships. Online ads also appeared on regional newspa per sites in Oregon, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and California; on the Web sites for Mother Jones, Utne, AItemet, Salon, Slate, The New York Times, The Washington Post and CN N ; and on more than 20 progressive blogs. The campaign demanded that the Senate stop wasting time on the amend ment and f<x:us on priority issues like the deficit, job loss, health care and terrorism. J H n his weekly radio address July 10, President Bush blamed Oregon and other states for his support of the Federal Marriage Amendment. “This difficult debate was forced upon our country by a few activist judges and local officials who have taken it on themselves to change the meaning of marriage,” he said. “In Massachu setts, four judges on the state’s highest court have ordered the issuance of marriage licenses to applicants of the same gender. In San Francisco, city officials issued thousands of marriage licens es to people of the same gender, contrary to the California family code. Lawsuits in several states, including New Jersey, Florida, Nebraska and Oregon, are also attempting to overturn the tra ditional definition of marriage by court order.” Bush added, “All of us have a duty to con duct this discussion with civility and decency toward one another.” But, as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force pointed out, queers are not the ones using disgusting and hateful rhetoric in this debate. "The president’s close buddies on the reli gious right,” executive director Matt Foreman said, “claim that extending equal marriage rights to gay people will c I cxhti Western civilization, overturn bans on polygamy and bestiality and, in the words of the $125 million behemoth Focus on the Family, result in families with ‘higher lev els of poverty, welfare dependency, child abuse, sexual abuse, substance abuse, premature and promiscuous sexuality, early unwed pregnancy, educational failure, juvenile delinquency, adult H R C ’s full-page ad in The Oregonian didn’t criminality and suicide as well as lower levels of get through to Gordon Smith It’s time for the Grand Opening Party at Rose City Veterinary Hospital! There probably won’t be exotic dancing but there will be naked animals and a fun party in the coolest pet hospital you have ever seen! Portland's oldest pet hospital has been beautifully re modeled by WPH Architecture from Portland. With its exciting lobby, enclosed courtyard, TV room for the kids and luxury suites for the pets it's designed to pamper you and your pets to the max. So Dr. Quirk and Dr. Kochis invite you to put on at least a little of your fin ery and help us cele brate our new space. ■ R ose C ity V eterinary H ospital Sheryl Stewart and the remote broadcast team from 105.1 The Buzz will be broadcasting live from the hospital from 1-3:00 pm. Hot dogs • Drinks • Cookies • Cotton Candy • Balloons Music • Valuable Door Prizes • Vendor Displays