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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 2004)
nûYember 5.2004 » said, who cannot afford a lawyer to establish par tial protections for their families. Foreman had flown in to see firsthand the campaign to which NGLTF donated nearly $800,000 of the $2.8 million raised, as well as a dozen staff members. He was more than pleased with what he saw. “We’ve already won here in Oregon,” he said. “People are having a conversation about marriage that is deeper and broader than any where else in the country.” Foreman counseled supporters of marriage equality to take pride in their accomplishments regardless of the election outcome. He praised the No on 36 campaign for being the only one of its kind in the nation to directly talk about same-sex marriage. “Four years ago, civil unions were a radical idea,” Foreman said. He urged the queer com munity to remember that “our movement is only 35 years old. We’ve accomplished more in that time span than any other civil rights move ment in history.” Foreman says having marriage equality in the United States will only be a matter of time. • “Ultimately, marriage equality will he decid ed by the Supreme Court,” he said. “And they won’t give a damn about state constitutions... [the Supreme Court] will rule in our favor in the foreseeable future.” Massachusetts economist Lee Badgett found that same-sex partnership rights in Scandinavia and the Netherlands have not changed previ ously existing trends in marriage, divorce, cohabitation or out-of-wedlock childhearing. She found that marriage rights remained the same or increased slightly, divorce rates remained the same, and most families are still headed by married parents. THeir campaign of lies and scare tactics Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste in Woodbum opposed Measure 36 Li vs. Oregon plaintiff Katie Potter congratulates her dad, “ PFLAG Mayor” Tom Potter “In the end, the Scandinavian and Dutch experience suggests that there is little reason to worry that heterosexual couples will flee mar riage if gay and lesbian couples get the same rights,” said Badgett. In addition to misleading printed materials, the Defense of Marriage Coalition contacted tens of thousands of Oregonians with an auto mated push poll that made dire predictions about what would happen if the measure was defeated. The call claimed that “in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal now, pub lic school teachers are teaching a pro-gay lifestyle to children start ing in kindergarten” and explicit gay sex starring in middle school. In reality, Massachusetts has made no changes in any of its official education curricu lum to discuss same-sex marriage or any other top ics related to homosexual ity. “I’m very concerned about [these] fear-hased tactics designed to scare and mislead parents,” said Susan Castillo, Oregon superintendent of public Sam Adams receives a congratulatory hug from Multnomah instruction. “Constitu County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey tional Amendment 36 has adults wanting benefits’ and less about ‘a hus nothing to do with Oregon’s sex education laws and will not impact what is taught in schools in band and wife raising a family,’ the value placed any way.” on children will suffer. Abortion totally devalues the life of an unborn child. Without Mea sure 36, the importance of children in marriage will he devalued, too.” Statements such as these are called into any questions were left unanswered at question by a July report for the G>uncil on press time as to what is next in the fight for Contemporary Families in which University of eanwhile, lacking justice in their comer, Measure 36 supporters resorted to mislead ing claims and scare tactics to influence voters. One notably inflammatory direct mail piece by Right to Life Oregon sent the week of Oct. 18 claimed: • “In Holland, same-sex marriage has led to increases in divorce, single parenting and, yes, abortion.” • “As marriage becomes more about ‘two PHOTO BY MARTY DAVIS M Tne long road to equality continues M marriage equality and how marriages recorded in Oregon will be affected by the new amendment. The Oregon Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Nov. 17 in Li vs. Oregon— the law suit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Basic Rights Oregon and a number of same-sex couples who challenged the constitutionality of the state’s marriage law. According to BRO, the issue of what hap pens to the status of the more than 3,000 same- sex marriages in Oregon is likely he addressed as part of that lawsuit. BRO expects the Defense of Marriage Coalition to file a motion to dismiss part or all of the case. Kassell said BRO would publish updated information on the court case and the ramifica tions of Measure 36 at www.hasicrights.org. She urged queers and marriage equality supporters to channel their energy into upcoming challenges and battles. “If we ever took for granted that this could n’t happen here in Oregon, now we know bet ter," she said. “The best thing we can do is take what we built here and use it to move forward.” Next on the agenda is preparing for the upcoming legislative session. If you want to help BRO pass a statewide nondiscrimination hill, call 503-222-6151. A gay day in Portland! T here was a silver lining to elections on the local front. Gay and queer-friendly candi dates t(xik the city by storm. Incoming “PFLAG Mayor” Tom Potter won out over Jim Francesconi 61 percent to 38 percent. When Potter’s victory was announced on KOIN-TV at 8:05 on election night, the No on 36 room at the convention center erupt ed in cheers. Even louder were the cheers at the Melody Ballroom when Potter made his accep tance speech and invited his family up on stage. Unlike certain vice presidents, Potter was proud to include his lesbian daughter, her partner and their kids in the limelight. “I’m proud to be a PFLAG dad,” Potter told Just Out. “And I am so proud of our gay and les bian community— you are so strong and so good. I don’t know why everyone else can’t see how beautiful you are.” City Council candidate Sam Adams beat opponent Nick Fish by approximately 4 points to become Portland’s first openly gay commis sioner. He spoke Nov. 3 at a post-election “LG BT Town Hall” hosted by the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus. “You can count on us,” he said, referring to himself and Potter, “to make sure lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people have every legal right possible in the city of Portland.” Other good news included a win by Mult nomah County Commissioner Lisa Naito, whose seat was challenged because of her role in forwarding marriage equality in Oregon. In regional government, openly gay environmen talist Robert Liberty won a seat on Metro Coun- cil, heating out incumbent Rod Monroe. J H S ta ff W riter M eg D aly can be reach ed a t m egdaly® jus tout .com . Family Values Are Under Attack! Three Critical Reasons Pro-Lifers Should Vote Yes on Mensure Î6 2 sfei-.w à *# *-»! ! t vom «gp Am &x » «w* f$¿J 0 CUWunkm(r*m* is Planned Parenthood Fighting traditional M arriage? mwii be »émAm*e*tet- » «y« the tuttk **«**>•**» ftw dntwYv m »«* «fwfci twW »hr mm *niom**n .< »•*>( umv **, in HOfein.l ma «Mtt *kMrM*r tan !«J to meet*** io Aw*«. : C irta ***** Doesn’t At Anyone I hink AK .bout Children.’ c " '.!y I ~ A- ■ ’. . V c' y . f i ■ '. It mow ««•* mar hoi no «Am t on »by a ftwnrd Psmxhtxti. tt» n «»«iY hapm Armno isrovidr», 3 Measure 36 Ls Our One Chance To Save Marriage. , ,« <• ? \ . f 3 $ t&fc M s »V»- + - h*t»y v<<** « r» • <-4 ih* * «¿e- ;V< ■ ’ ♦ ' f- - V n.>s fc t;i v ->: ^ A m . tv ■>'* ptxipfc ■ ft ffc» & '$ . s» ■• » t c iatml * * k*v ftnan ciat a * * «* « IW «hr < ^»xarrl to - T V » , *»•». *?*»> Ì ^ Right to Life Oregon sent this mailer to voters claming links between same-sex marriage and increased abortion rates 19
