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A collective gasp was heard from the Port
land City Club after House Speaker Pro Tem
pore Dennis Richardson made a case for dis
crimination against same-sex couples May 13.
Richardson, a Republican from Central
Point, made a “life isn’t fair” argument in
response to City Club board member Tamsen
Wassell’s question about discrimination she
experienced.
Wassell directed her question about auto
insurance discrimination to Richardson, an
insurance lawyer, after being quoted a higher
rate because her spouse is a woman. She asked
him whether this was a fair practice and, if not,
u'hat recourse she should take.
“I wish I were taller, I wish 1 were better
looking. It’s not fair,” was Richardson’s immedi
ate response.
Wassell said she felt that Richardson’s
answer was dismissive and that he perceived her
marriage as abnormal.
“Honestly, 1 knew Rep. Richardson’s posi
tion on gay and lesbian rights so was not sur
prised at his remarks,” she said. “1 thought he
might rise above and answer from a professional
point of view, but clearly he can not separate his
political views from his professional ones.”
the center. The event starts at 7 p.m. and
includes a possible excursion to Tabu.
• June 9: All Day Gay Film Festival at Meese
Auditorium on the Southern Oregon Universi
ty campus. The films will be split into two
genres, with one afternoon and one evening
showing.
• June 11: A dance for everyone in the com
munity, gay and straight.
• June 12: Pride March. Come show your pride
and meet 11:30 a.m. at Evo’s. The march will
continue at 12:45 p.m. to Lithia Park, where the
community will gather for the annual Picnic in
the Park. There will be speakers and entertain
ment. The day will end with a Native American
closing ceremony.
To reach the Abdill-Ellis Community Cen
ter, call 541-488-6990 or look online at
www.abdellis.org.
A shland M arriage C eremony
in the P ark
Ernest Caswell, a bishop in Christ Catholic
Church in Ashland, is volunteering to bless the
commitments of same-sex couples during
Southern Oregon Pride. Christ Catholic is a
small, independent church that split from Rome
in 1720.
In his 32 years as bishop, Caswell has per
formed many weddings and
many gay union ceremonies.
His offer stands to Southern
Oregonians who wish to make
a commitment to their loved
one or publicly renew their
vows. The ceremony need not
be religious, but Caswell can
certainly perform one with reli
gious blessings, with either a
Certificate of Union or of vow
renewal.
If you would like to have a
ceremony June 12 during Pic
nic in the Park, Caswell will be
in attendance between 3 and
House Speaker Pro Tempore Dennis Richardson did not impress
5 p.m. To have a ceremony
the City Club with his platitudes on the unfairness of life.
with the bishop at Pride, inter
ested people must call him at
David Pcx)l, editor of the online news source 541-535-8463 and discuss details by June 5.
News4Neighbors, was in the audience covering
the meeting. “The most disturbing part is he W itham & D ickey
didn’t realize what he was saying,” he said.
W ins B usiness A ward
Richardson, who has a history of conserva
For anyone who was at this year’s Basic
tive politics in Southern Oregon, continued to Rights Oregon luncheon, you may remember
say that enforcing fairness is not the govern Gov. Ted Kulongoski talking about going to
ment’s job.
Embers back around 1980. The man who took
“The government can’t make everything him was Bill Dickey, longtime Portland gay
fair,” he said. “You’re making a decision to not activist and businessman.
be in a normal marriage.... It’s not about fair
Dickey and Matt Witham specialize in com
ness. It’s about decisions society makes and this mercial printing, direct mail and promotional
one doesn’t cut in your favor and I think that’s prixlucts. After starting out with a small dupli
just the way it is.”
cator press in 1996, they now have seven press
In the News4Neighbors report on the meet es in their 7,500-square-foot facility. Employ
ing, Pool posed the natural follow-up question: ment grew by six people to 15 in 2004, with
“Isn’t fairness and justice exactly the govern a 225 percent increase in gross revenue/sales.
ment’s job?”
Witham & Dickey’s Homestead Greeting Cards
—J ay me e R. Cuti division sells hundreds of thousands of
custom greeting cards created locally and sold
S outhern O regon P ride
nationwide.
A nnounces E vent S chedule
Witham & Dickey has earned one of the
Sponsored by the Abdill-Ellis Community Portland Business Alliance’s Top Ten Growth
Center, Southern Oregon Pride will have many Awards in the Small Business Category. With
events to celebrate June 3 to 12. The following am & Dickey has been named as the region’s
is a list of confirmed events; further information fastest-growing businesses in its size category.
will be published in the June 3 issue of Just Out:
“We created the Top Ten Growth Awards 20
• June 3: Art Walk at the center, 6 to 9 p.m.
years ago as a way to spotlight companies that
• June 4: Stonewall Panel at Ashland Public are making major contributions to the econom
Library, 2 to 4 p.m. Also, a golf tournament will ic growth of the region,” said Sandra McDo
take place at Bear Creek Golf Course. To regis nough, Portland Business Alliance president
ter, leave a message at 541-734-7221. Price is and CEO. “This year’s winners demonstrate that
$20, and tee time is 6 p.m.
businesses of every size and in a broad range of
• June 5: A Day at the Theater featuring “Ma industries are growing and prospering in Port
Rainey.” Tickets are $22. Contact the center if land and the region.”
you would like to attend.
Winners were honored at the alliance’s
• June 8: A blowout for the Women’s Night at Annual Meeting, one of the largest gatherings