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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2005)
30 jU*t OUt • (une 17.2005 JAJlil'MInews "94*1 t it cjeliieuf clade ta that aeie-yead, CMeuueddci/uf,? G ay R ights G roups D enounce C onfirmation of P ryor Sltauldtn 'I 4pau be thû^lzieuj, alaal b*upi*u^ bed a boude?!" Realty Truot 503.416.2017 Jeid4pL@decdlqldud2.coen bl tp://u’W.realty trust.ccnn/kim trip 3902 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland Come Build a Future with Us We are accepting applications for our Electrical and Limited Energy Apprenticeship Program. July 11-15 and July 18 - 22, 2005 An IBEW trained electrician receives: ■ Highest wages ■ Superior benefits ■ Employer paid pension plans ■ Mentoring program Application requirements MUST be met at the time of application. For application requirements log onto our website: www.nietc.org. neca P ibctv OREGON COLUMBIA^^^f LOCAL 48 Electrical Training Center ft's worth looking into! It is designed to increase opportunities for queer-owned businesses. While the chamber The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force launched an initiative for queer suppliers to and the Human Rights Campaign denounced contract with some of America’s top corpora the U.S. Senate’s confirmation June 9 of former tions last year, the Interior Department is the Alabama Attorney General William H. Pryor first federal agency to sign such a memo express Jr. to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th ly aimed at increasing opportunities for queer Circuit. businesses within the federal government. The Senate confirmed Pryor for a lifetime The partnership will allow the chamber to appointment by a vote of 53-45, with three provide more opportunities to queer-owned Republican senators businesses looking to voting in opposition secure vendor contracts to his confirmation with rhe department and two Democrats and its eight bureaus: voting in support. National Park Service, Since his initial U.S. Fish and Wildlife nomination hy Pres Service, U.S. Geological ident Bush in 2003, Survey, Bureau of Indian groups advocating Affairs, Bureau of Land for queers in Wash Management, Minerals ington have strongly Management Service, * ■’*** opposed Pryor’s Bureau of Reclamation nomination, as he and Office of Surface has a demonstrated Mining. track record of bias “Through this part against the rights of nership, the NGLCC gay, lesbian, bisexual will ensure that LGBT and transgender businesses have access to Americans. bid on the more than $4 “Pryoc has billion in contracts the repeatedly proven IXTI awards every year, he is an ideological over $2 billion of which tyrant of the highest is spent with small and order,” said Matt disadvantaged business Foreman, NGLTF es,” said chamber co executive director. founder Justin Nelson. “Pryor’s extremist William H. Pryor, virulent homophobe, has been Bob Faithful, direc views may resonate appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the tor of the department’s with the outer 11th Circuit. Office of Small and Dis fringes, but they advantaged Business have no place on the federal bench. This is an Utilization, added: “Know your neighbor. American travesty.” LGBT businesses are also our neighbors; they HRC president Joe Solmonese added: “The are taxpayers and contributors to the economy, American people deserve justice, not prejudice. as well as our customers. Their participation as We thank senators from both parties who stood small businesses makes the country’s economic with us and the civil rights community, and we base stronger.” will continue to advocate for fair-minded judges The day’s events are also of great benefit to and against radical nominees who would roll the Interior Department. As a result of the back basic civil rights. With agreement, the judges like Pryor on the courts of chamber will help appeal, the Supreme Court is the agency en more important than ever.” hance its outreach As Alabama attorney gener efforts to small busi al, Pryor consistently demon nesses owned and strated bias against queers, link operated hy mem ing the state Web site to anti- bers of the queer gay advocacy groups. In a friend- community. In of-the-court brief filed in the doing so, the cham Lawrence vs. Texas case, he ber will assist in compared homosexuality to bes promoting coopera- tiality and pedophilia. Last year, tion and collabora after receiving a recess appoint tive action on ment to the I I th Circuit, Pryor issues involving cast the deciding vote to deny contract and pro rehearing a challenge to Flori curement opportu da’s anti-gay adoption law. nities with the More fhan 175 national department. groups opposed Pryor’s appoint “We look for ment, including Log Cabin Texas Gov. Rick Perry tells gay vets to ward to working Republicans, Lambda Legal, the scram if they don’t like his opinions. with the DOI, National Association for the while increasing Advancement of Colored People, the National opportunities for the LGBT community and Abortion Rights Action League, People for the adding quality suppliers to the department’s net American Way, the Sierra Club and the World work,” commented chamber co-founder Association of Persons with Disabilities. Chance Mitchell on the partnership. “We hope —Sarah Doupher the document we signed today is the first of many with federal agencies. LGBT business C hamber , F eds S ign women and men need to know there is a differ M emo of U nderstandinc ; ence between the politics in Washington and In a move that opens doors for queer busi business opportunities with the federal govern ness to bid for billions in federal contracts, the ment. Ulis is a gcxxl start.” National Gay &. Lesbian Chamber of Com The chamber is the largest queer business merce and the U.S. Department of the Interior development and economic advocacy organiza signed a historic memorandum of understand tion in the world. It represents the interests of ing June 9. more than 800,000 queer-owned businesses and
