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Corvallis activists at Basic Rights Oregon's Statewide Day of Action count and sort literature to
be dropped off at people's doorsteps.
Tel 503.281.8688 • Fax 503.249 .1440 • www.impress-usa.com
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Batter Up: Corvallis
City might join other Oregon jurisdictions
in passing an anti-discrimination law
’s a you parade.
by Malka Geffen
Herzog-Meier
D. Fulps/George Kettner
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3ZZ
orvallis has an opportunity this November
to show the world that its motto, “We’re a
city that honors diversity," holds true.
According to Clinton Downs, co-
chairman of the Basic Rights Action
Team (BRAT) in Corvallis, the city has a strong
history of support. Not only was Corvallis the
second Oregon city after Portland to instate a
nondiscrimination policy in 1992, Benton County
was the only other county besides Multnomah
County to vote down Measure 36.
“Corvallis has consistently voted in favor of
families and rights, so it is exciting for us to ask the
people to renew our commitment to diversity,” said
Downs. Although Benton County passed an
ordinance adding sexual minorities to its anti
discrimination laws more than a decade ago, the
city of Corvallis is governed by a Home Rule
Charter that can supersede county governance.
“The City Council encouraged BRAT to be a
part of an effort to add inclusive language to the
city charter,” Downs said. The amendment would
add the “Responsibility to All People” section,
which reads: “The city shall exercise its power to
ensure the equal protection, treatment and repre
sentation of all persons without discrimination
including hut not limited to age, citizenship status,
color, familial status, gender identity or expression,
marital status, mental disability, national origin,
physical disability, race, religion, religious
observance, sex, sexual orientation and source or
level of income. Corvallis is a community that
honors diversity and diverse interests and aspires to
he free of prejudice, bigotry and hate.”
According to City Councilor George Grosch,
the council could have changed the city ordinance,
hut making a charter change, which requires a
vote, sends a much stronger message. “When it’s
the entire community and not just nine people, it
says to the gay community that Corvallis cares
about you and wants you here,” he said.
Similar to an amendment to the Constitution,
a charter revision is both harder to achieve and
more permanent. A revision of the city charter has
not occurred in 30 years and involves a series of
community meetings and discussion before being
put to a vote.
“We’re doing a good job organizing the gay and
supportive communities, who will come out and
vote,” said Grosch. “With no organized opposition,
I’m really optimistic that it will pass.”
Basic Rights Oregon has a plan to go city by city
and county by county to pass anti-discrimination
legislation until either the whole state is protected or
the Oregon Legislature passes a statewide anti
discrimination law.
Corvallis would join the following Oregon
counties and cities that have enacted similar laws:
Multnomah County, Benton County, Hillsboro,
Salem, Portland, Beaverton, Bend, Ashland, Lake
Oswego, Eugene and Lincoln City.
BRO communications director Rebekah Orr
explained the grassroots effort. “When we came
out of the 2005 legislative session without a
statewide anti-discrimination hill, we knew we
j couldn’t and wouldn’t wait to see gains made across
the state, and so we decided to go city by city and
county by county to pass that kind of legislation
j and to build support where we really need it for the
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next legislative fight.”
Whether BRO approaches the city or the city
seeks BRO’s support in achieving anti-discrimination
laws, the work, according to Orr, is happening
quietly underground to avoid unnecessarily alert -
ing the opposition. “Generally in this process
there’s not a lot of organized opposition, but in
Bend there was significant opposition and they
mounted a repeal campaign,” she said. “As we
spread out into more challenging areas of the
state, we expect the opposition to be as vehement
as they key in to what we’re doing.”
Orr suggested that the grassroots campaign will
have a significant effect on the Legislature. “I think
it shows lawmakers and people throughout the
state that we won’t he defeated and won’t give up."
She explained that in practical terms, BRO is
creating a grassroots voter base that will throw
power into the effort. “It demonstrates to law
makers in nonurhan areas that there is support in
their communities, which makes it an easier vote
when they get hack to Salem.
"The Corvallis campaign is the first proactive
GLBT rights ballot measure campaign in the state’s
history," Orr added. In addition to the technical
support and guidance BRO has provided BRAT
Corvallis, she said organizing director Thomas
Wheatley has visited nearly weekly for the past few
months. As with any grassrixits effort, however, the
best work is done at home. “There are great folks
there who really took a hold of this campaign and
have done the hard work on the ground to make it
happen,” said Orr.